Ruins of Time: The 57th Hunger Games
by WizardDemigodGladerGatekeeper
Summary: The Capitol loved the arena. It had been deemed as one of the best games ever. 24 tributes go in, one survivor comes out. Blood be spilled, people be broken. Families torn apart, and tributes forced to choose between Humanity and Life. This Hunger Games tests them all. The Arena of the ruined city... This is the story of the 57th Hunger Games. SYOT CLOSED!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello Again! I read quite a few SYOTs recently, and have decided to write one of my own. Do submit tributes, and I will try to write as best as I can. The rules and form will be at the bottom of the page. :)**

~.~.~.~.

Bruce Heathers trembled in his seat. He was usually a stoic man of little emotion, but the situation had gotten the best of him. His hands were clammy and he could feel the sweat run down the side of his head. He wanted to get this over with as fast as possible.

As Head Gamemaker, Bruce had had his share of dangers. It wasn't the safest position, but It paid good money all the same. And he couldn't deny having enjoyed himself while making those beautiful traps and mutts, which tore apart the tributes.

Bruce loved the Hunger Games. They were a work of art. It had been his lifelong dream of being able to throw in whatever he wanted. It had been just last year that he had poisoned all the flowers in the arena. Any tribute who went within two feet would die instantly.

And the time before, he had set up an army of mutts made completely of stone. They had wiped out at least ten tributes.

A voice burst out through the intercom, summoning him inside the room. He had been simply staring at its mahogany door, dreading this.

He had been called to the President's office.

He hesitantly opened the door and walked in.

President Leor was a man of many talents. He reminded Bruce a little bit of himself, when he would attain the age of sixty-five. The President was bloodthirsty and heartless. Needless to say, Panem had seen a few of their best games under him. But even the mere sight of him was enough to send shivers down Bruce's back.

He was wearing a simple suit. Nothing extravagant. It was the look in his eyes that frightened Bruce. It was pure malice. He seemed like the personification of the devil himself. He smiled, though it looked more like a sneer on his perpetually-scowling features.

"Sit." He ordered.

Bruce obediently sat.

"Now, Mr. Heathers. I want you to know that last year's games had been enjoyed by everyone in the Capitol. So much blood. Especially the way Dane tortured little Sean. It makes me nostalgic just thinking about it." He said, knitting his eyebrows together. Bruce had absolutely no idea where this was heading.

"As you know, the Capitol expect much better from us this time. You have raised the bar quite high. Better games, better mutts, and most importantly, better Arena. It's time to live up to our expectations." The man continued.

Bruce tried his best not to fidget. He usually ordered the other Gamemakers around, and he treated the Avoxes like slaves. But sitting opposite him was a man who could make his stomach turn like no other.

"I'm not quite sure I follow you, sir. We will try our best to come up with a better Arena, sir." He said. He tried to keep his voice firm.

The President smiled. "Oh, you see, that's why I called you here Bruce." Bruce flinched at the use of his first name. The President never called him that.

"You don't need to think of an arena. I've thought of one for you."

Bruce didn't think he'd heard the President correctly. "Excuse me, sir?" he asked. President Leor's smile grew wider. "You heard me right. I've thought of the Arena. Anyone who dares object… well, I don't think I need to tell you what'll happen, do I?"

Bruce could only stare.

"This is what I want this year's Arena to be." The President handed Bruce a sheet of paper. Bruce took it gingerly, as though the thing may have burst into flames. He looked at the contents and couldn't help but smile. This was simply perfect!

"Sir, you really are a genius." He said at last. The President stood up, and crossed his arms. When he spoke, he did so with pride in his voice.

"This is going to be one Hunger Games the people won't easily forget."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N:**

 **Right then, I do have a few rules, but nothing too major.**

 **Please be original with the personalities of the tributes. I have no doubt that you all will, but I needed to put this out there. :)**

 **I stink at romance, so though there will be a criteria, expect very less of it in this fic.**

 **I'll try to keep a balance of tribute's POVs, but I do need a few bloodbath tributes as well.**

 **You can definitely submit more than one tribute, but I will accept a maximum of two tributes from one person.**

 **Here's the form!**

 **Name (Please be creative. I know you'll all give me wonderful names:)):**

 **Gender:**

 **Age:**

 **District:**

 **Backup District:**

 **Reaped/ Volunteered?:**

 **If reaped, What was the reaction?:**

 **If Volunteered, why did they do it?:**

 **Appearance (You can be as descriptive as you want. :)):**

 **Face claim:**

 **Personality (Once again, please be as descriptive as possible. I need to know them well):**

 **Background (And, again, descriptions! :)):**

 **Family and Friends:**

 **Strengths:**

 **Weaknesses (min 3):**

 **Weapon of choice:**

 **Worst fear:**

 **Token:**

 **Thoughts on games and the Capitol:**

 ***Reaping outfit:**

 ***Interview angle:**

 **Open to alliance?:**

 **Other thoughts? (Please understand, I really stink at romance. But if you want some, you can add it in here, along with any other additional info!:)):**

 **I will only accept submissions by PM. Unless you are a guest, in which case you are most welcome to review. But I would really prefer PM. I will wait until I have a good number of tributes before updating. Please submit! I cant wait to read about all the amazing tributes y'all come up with!**

 **Until next time then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello there. I've decided to put up another chapter of this story, simply to give a sort of introduction to all the districts. And basically to the President and Gamemakers. A big thank you to anyone who's submitted a tribute, or reserved a place (I can't wait to read about your tributes). I didn't think my story would get such a positive response, and it makes me truly happy.**

 **Right. One more thing.**

 **This is the Hunger Games. Which means that only one tribute will make it out alive. I apologize first hand if it isn't yours, but you must understand. After I receive all the tributes, I'll be putting up a poll on my profile. Most likely, the most popular tribute will win. Also, I would request the creators of the tributes to review as often as they can. I'm not going to be one of those if-you-don't-review-your-tribute-will-die-immediately kind of authors, but its just that I love hearing what all of you have to say about the way I have written about your characters. Also, please tell me how I can improve (Once I actually do start writing).**

 **Right then. On with the chapter.**

 **Note: Some districts' industries have been changed. This is what I thought would fit. Hope y'all don't mind. :)**

~.~.~.~.

At twenty-two, Thaddeus Sheen was one of the youngest Gamemakers Panem had seen. He wasn't particularly fond of this job, but it kept the food on the table. And he had a large table.

Thaddeus had been a victor of the fifty-third hunger games. It hadn't been the most 'exciting' year, but President Leor found plenty of talent in Thaddeus. Thaddeus had basically won his games by setting up various different traps around the Arena. He was stealthy and managed to hide his traps as well as he hid himself. He had killed a total of ten tributes with his traps.

Thaddeus had to leave his home in District Five, for the moment the games got over, President Leor had given him the proposal of becoming a Gamemaker. Of course, he had called it proposal. Thaddeus knew for a fact that Leor would murder his entire family if he refused.

He stared at a blank screen. His reflection gazed back at him. He'd never been the most attractive of boys, and his looks certainly hadn't won him any sponsors. It had been his brains. He remembered receiving his first sponsor gift, on the third day. It had been a vial of deadly poison, using which, he had killed both tributes from District Seven.

Thaddeus was snapped out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Head Gamemaker Bruce Heathers looking down upon him. He searched for some sign of compassion in the older man's eyes, but found none. The forty-three year old Head Gamemaker was one of the most stone hearted and ruthless people Thaddeus had met. Which was saying something.

Owing to politeness, Thaddeus stood up. "Yes, sir? Is there something I can help you with?" He asked n a timid voice. He knew that Bruce liked to have everyone suppressed under him. Anyone spoke to him in a loud voice… well, last time that had happened, all they found of the poor lady was her right arm.

Bruce sneered. "The fifty-seventh Hunger Games is approaching, Thaddeus." He said. Thaddeus didn't dare reply. He simply nodded.

"President Leor has a special plan for this year's Arena. After last year's success, he wants this year's games to be even better. And I want you to see to it that it happens."

Thaddeus could feel his blood turn to ice. What was this man going on about? Of course he would be helping design the arena, that was his job!

"I'm putting you in charge of Head Traps Designer." Bruce added.

Thaddeus resisted the urge of collapsing in his chair. The Gamemakers were infamous for their traps. Last year, they had designed one to make an entire cave come crumbling down, wiping out three tributes.

But in a sick twisted way, it made sense. Thaddeus had won his games by relying on his traps. His traps had gotten him out of the Hunger games alive. Now it was time for them to do their job again.

"Yes sir. I am honored that you have entrusted me with this responsibility. I assure you sir, I won't let you down." He said, finally finding his voice. Bruce's sneer grew wider.

He handed Thaddeus a sheet of paper. "This contains the details of all the districts. Study them carefully, and plan the traps accordingly. I want to attack the tributes where it'll hurt them most." He said. He stepped closer to Thaddeus. The man towered over him, his steely-grey eyes unforgiving and cruel.

"Don't disappoint me Sheen. I don't think I need to tell you what'll happen if you do."

Before Thaddeus could even respond, Bruce walked out of his office, leaving him staring at the piece of paper. Sighing softly, he sat down in his chair and peered at it.

It was always the same. Since the Dark Days of the rebellion, the twelve districts of Panem had been sending two tributes each, a boy and a girl, between the age of twelve to eighteen. The twenty four tributes would be put in an arena, and had to fight to the death. Only one of them emerged victorius.

Thaddeus scanned the details of the districts, even though he knew them well. He needed to make sure he didn't make any flaws. It may cost him his life. He began to read…

 _District 1: The Luxury district- This district supplies the Capitol with all their gems and precious metals. Being one of the career districts, It is also dubbed the Capitol's pet. No one goes hungry, and no one is poor. But compassion is not found anywhere in this district. The tributes tend to be vain, and cold. But of course, everything has exceptions._

 _District 2: The Weaponry District- They are the peacekeeper-trainers. Capitol's favourte District, it supplies them with weapons and strong tributes. These tributes are careers through and through, but sometimes, a different case pops up. Not many people are poor in this district, but there are still a few here who hate the Capitol._

 _District 3: The Electronics District- This supplies the Capitol with all its wonderful technology and gadgets. Houses some of the smartest tributes, but most of the time, the tributes are weak and under-fed. The class is from poor to rich._

 _District 4: The fishing District- One of the richer Districts, yet also one of the more rebellious. Supplies the Capitol with Fish and other sea products. The tributes are well trained, but not always to kill. It is more for survival._

 _District 5: The Power Supplier/ Science District: This is not too different from Three. The tributes are mostly weak, but it has shown up some strong tributes here and there. Loyalty and friendship isn't easily found in this district. The people fend for themselves. Relying on other people is almost unheard of, but then again, some people are different from others._

 _District 6: The Transportation District: One of the weakest districts. The tributes usually aren't huge and strong, but they are sharp and cunning. Sometime, Six manages to produce a strong tribute as well. Responsible for transport, but their people do not like travel. The children tend to be a little innocent and naïve, but sometimes, one of them gets the crown._

 _District 7: The Lumber District- Trees. This district deals completely with trees. One of the better districts to live in, the tributes are usually kind and loyal. There are exceptions of course, but always strong. Very skilled with axes. Strong willed, and sometimes even rebellious._

 _District 8: The Textile District- A barren land with no trees. District Eight isn't always the producer of extraordinary tributes, but they have a sufficient amount of victors in their victor pool. Kind and not cold-hearted, they tend to be sweet and helpful. But then again, no one sweet and helpful wins the Games._

 _District 9: The Grain district- Once again, the producer of strong tributes. Even though they simply supply grain, their tributes are emotionally stable due to having endured weeks of starvation and hunger. Not always the kindest of people, but one need not be kind to be a victor of the games._

 _District 10: The Livestock rearing district- They live in a lush green district, with beautiful trees surrounding every corner. No one is extremely poor, and their tributes have a fair amount of skill from slaughtering the animals. Usually knowledgeable about food and animal nature. But not always do they have the heart to kill another person in cold blood._

 _District 11: The Agriculture District- One of the poorest districts. Many people are starved and regularly beaten on the streets. Even though it hurts them, it also makes them strong. They are able to endure even the harshest of situations in the games, but not always are they ready to drive a knife through someone else's skull._

 _District 12: By far the poorest and weakest district. Most people starve to death, and the tributes usually have next to no talent. However, many tributes in the past have surprised the nation by making it till the last four, and two have even won._

Thaddeus set down the letter and stared at his hands. His mind was already crawling with ideas for traps, but he couldn't get his mind around it. He was going to design traps to kill innocent children, ones who were not that far younger than himself. But he knew he had no other choice. This was Panem. If you wanted to live with your family, you needed to do whatever the Capitol wanted you to.

He sat forward wand rested his head on his hands. Bruce had been correct about one thing.

This Hunger Games wasn't one that would be forgotten very soon.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Right, so, that was an idea of what each district is like in my idea, but of course, you can make your tribute an 'exception'. Please submit your tributes! I can't wait to write about them as I am sure they'll all be fantastic! Also, please know that the district of your tribute will have nothing to do with their chances of winning. A tribute from any district may be crowned victor! :)) The tribute list is available on my profile :) Also, even though I know all of y'all will give me unique and epic tributes, I want to request everyone who is going to submit, to be diverse in the tribute's descriptions. I cant very well have ten 15 year old girls facing off in the arena. I know you guys dont need this, and the tributes I have received are simply amazing, but just wanted to put this out there. I am eagerly waiting for more people to submit so I can write the reapings! Happy reading!**

 **Until next time then…**

 **:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's me again! I'm gonna put up another chapter, 'cause I thought you guys might want a little more background, and also 'cause I didn't want to keep you guys waiting for an update. I've got three spots open, so if anyone wants to submit a tribute, submit ahead! I won't start the reapings until I get all the tributes, but that doesn't mean I can't put up another chapter, does it? ;)**

 **Also, I'm gonna reply to the reviews at the end of the chapter. And I'll put up a death list once the Games start. Imma reply to every single reviewer, 'cause if you guys can take out enough time to review my story, I can definitely take out time to reply. :)**

~.~.~.~.

"STOP!"

Dane Evans sat bolt upright on his bed. His sheets were soaked in sweat. It took him a moment to realize he was screaming. Sean's voice still rang in his ears.

He clutched the sides of his head, screaming louder. His screams quickly turned into sobs. He pulled his legs up and hugged his knees close to his chest. The grotesque images swam in front of his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have been crying. He was a Victor, and Victors were tough people. They didn't cry. They didn't show emotion.

Dane tried to be like that. He tried to bury his emotions deep inside himself. But he had failed. The fifty-sixth Hunger Games had scarred his very soul. It had been a year since those traumatizing two weeks, but the nightmares hadn't left him. The screams of his fellow tributes haunted his nights. He saw the face of his ally Winter Shade in his dreams all the time. How she had pleaded with him to help her. And how he'd been too late to do so.

But the worst of all were the nightmares in which Sean Havens featured.

When Dane had gotten reaped, he'd been shocked out of his wits. By the time he reached the Capitol, he'd still not formulated any sort of strategy. His District partner Jasmine Willows was a petite little girl of twelve. Dane himself had been only sixteen. Too young to be going into such a daunting experience. The two of them had become allies on the train itself; Jasmine was too sweet and innocent for Dane to reject.

Dane had found another ally in Winter Shade of District Seven, during their training. They'd met at the edible plants station. At first, Winter had come across as a feisty girl of his age, who wouldn't break a sweat while separating your head from the rest of your body. But as they had talked, Dane had begun to see that she was much more than that. Her history had broken her; her parents had been shot to death in front of her by Peacekeepers. She wasn't just skilled, she was smart too. She must've had the same thoughts about Dane, for they had asked each other to be allies in unison.

When the Games had started, Dane had been a little disoriented. Claudius Templesmith's voice told them some things about their arena. It had been based off an old story of an island called Atlantis. Atlantis had sunk beneath the tides, taking its whole population with it. And that was what would happen to their arena.

Dane had gotten together with Jasmine and Winter, but a knife from the boy from Two, and Jasmine's cannon rang through the Arena. Dane and Winter had managed to escape the bloodbath, and found shelter in an abandoned hut. Their Arena was supposedly a smaller version of the city of Atlantis.

Every day, the whole arena would sink by ten meters into the water. The tributes, by the end of the first week, had started going insane, hunting down weaker ones left and right. The career alliance had taken out a total of twelve tributes within a matter of five days.

Then came that fateful day. Dane and Winter had managed to keep themselves alive by hiding. But the Gamemakers must have decided that they'd had enough. Dane had gone out in the woods to hunt for food, but a scream had sent him running back to his cave at full speed. He could hear his name being called out by Winter as she pleaded him to save her. Dane had burst through the entrance of the cave just in time to see the boy from seven, Winter's very own District partner, pull a knife out of her chest. Dane had buried his axe in the boy's chest, but it had been too late for his ally. Winter died in his arms, her last words being a plea for him to win.

With only four tributes left, the Gamemakers quickly drew them into a gruesome Finale. The Arena almost completely submerged, the tributes had no choice but to be forced together at the heart of the city, the town square.

Little fourteen-year-old Sean Havens of District Eleven, the pair from two, and Dane himself. The arena had sunk almost completely by that time, the part of it being above the water only being the square. Even so, the water had licked their feet as they fought. The bloody battle had taken place in the main square of the city, for the rest of it was under the surface of the water. Dane had killed the boy from two by impaling him with his sword, while the girl from two had been taken out by Sean. He'd thrown her into the water, and kept her there until she drowned. The girl had been only twelve, but mighty viscous. Unfortunately for her, Sean was bigger.

But the battle had exhausted the two of them. They both had been bleeding profusely. Dane had wished that they could simply stand there and see who outstood who, but the Capitol would have none of that boring stuff. Claudius' voice had rung out, telling them that the victor would be the person who tortured the other to death.

Dane had flung himself at Sean, pinning him down. Dane was never the biggest person, but he certainly was bigger than Sean. He'd sunk his knife into various bits of Sean's flesh, tearing the other boy apart. Sean had begged him to stop, but Dane didn't. He apologized with every stroke, crying his eyes out. That had been the worst day of his life. Sean's pleas for him to stop had turned into pleas of mercy. He had wanted Dane to kill him. He had wanted it all to simply end. Dane had mercifully slit his throat.

Soaked in Sean's blood and his own, Dane had been announced the victor of the fifty-sixth Hunger Games.

Dane let out another yell as the memories flowed through him. He wanted it all to go away. He wanted to start again, to forget about everything that had happened in those two weeks. But the thing was, the Hunger Games never left anyone. The Victors would be forever haunted by the dead tributes.

Dane could feel his sobs turning his throat raw. "Dane!" a voice cried. The door to his room opened, and his twin sister Diana ran in. She sat beside Dane and pulled him into a hug. He sobbed into her shoulders, and she tangled her fingers in his hair. He could hear her mutter soothing words, but even she knew that it was all in vain.

She pulled away and looked Dane in the eye. "Dane, what was it this time? Was it Winter? Or Sean?" she asked, concerned. Her gray eyes were full of worry, and her blond hair was bedraggled.

"All of them." Dane managed. He hated breaking down like this, and he only did so in front of Diana. No one else had ever seen him broken. "It was everyone. I was torturing every single one of them."

"It was all my fault. I killed Sean. He was fourteen Diana, fourteen. He had a life to return to! AND I SNATCHED IT AWAY!" He could feel his voice rising.

"You had to do that Dane. Otherwise you'd be dead. What do you think would have happened to us if you died?" Diana said calmly. "You need to stop blaming yourself Dane. You start mentoring tomorrow. Focus on how you'll train the new tributes, and push the Hunger Games from your mind." She advised.

Dane shuddered. He couldn't believe this was happening. He would be mentoring a tribute tomorrow. Two kids who were going to go through the exact things he had. And he was going to be advising them on how to kill the other kids. He'd be provoking them towards doing what he had done.

He choked down his sobs, but didn't say anything. Diana knew what this meant. Once he stopped crying, he wouldn't start again. He'd shut everyone out, burying his guilt and shame deep inside his heart.

"Good night Dane." Diana said as she got up to leave. She stopped at the door and turned around, giving Dane a tiny smile. "Don't let the bedbugs bite." She added. It was something she'd always said to him when they'd been kids.

Dane watched her shut the door as she walked back to her room. He lay down again, his head sinking into the soft pillow. He was going to see two new faces tomorrow. The two people who he'd be responsible for training for the Games.

The Reapings were merely hours later.

~.~.~.~.

"ARGH!" Thaddeus yelled in frustration, throwing a vase across his room.

"Calm down Thaddeus. Throwing stuff around won't help anyone." His friend put in. He was thankful for her company. Rayne could be of a lot of help when she wanted to.

Thaddeus was required to give the Gamemakers the plans of at least five ideas for traps by the time the Reapings started. The Reapings were the next day, and he'd only come up with four. If he didn't think of something else soon, one of his family members would be plucked off the face of the world, Bruce had personally threatened him.

Only one problem. Thaddeus' mind was completely blank. No idea came to him. He'd been the master of traps in his games, but now, all thought deserted him.

"You don't understand, Rayne. If I don't give them these plans, one of you is gonna end up dead!" he huffed, slumping down on a chair. He bonked his head against the surface of the table, trying to make some thoughts come loose.

Rayne put a hand on his shoulder. "Thad, calm down. Just take a deep breath, and clear your bloody mind. If you start panicking and throwing a tantrum, no idea is gonna come to you." She said. Thaddeus looked up at her, finally seeing her point. He forced himself to inhale deeply.

He stopped tapping his feet, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He didn't want to do this. He knew that someone would be killed by every trap he made. But he had no choice. The Capitol always got what they wanted.

He started recalling the details of every single Hunger Games he could remember. Last year's Games had raised the bar quite high. This time, he needed to be extra ruthless in order to please Bruce and President Leor.

Slowly, and idea started forming itself in his mind. It had been a Games that he had watched not long before going into the arena. He pulled a paper towards himself and begun to write. Rayne smiled sadly at him. "See? Told you it works." She said. Thaddeus ignored her.

Every line he made with his pencil sent a new wave of guilt through his chest. This trap would be taking out quite a few people. He was designing something that would kill innocent kids. But he had no choice.

The Capitol always got what they wanted.

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: So? What did you guys think? Yay? Nay? So bad that it should be deleted? Please review and tell me! I love hearing all your opinions! Constructive criticism is appreciated as well! :)**

 **To Lifelong potterhead: I simply cannot thank you enough for all your wonderful reviews for my stories. I really hope you enjoy this one!**

 **To Reader Castellan: Your tributes were amazing! Thank you for the compliment! I wanted to bring out their hideous mind set, and I'm glad that I could do it! I feel bad for Sheen too. Hope you enjoy my story!**

 **To Sally the Lioness: Thank you so much! I didn't think of myself as being very good at suspense, but I'm glad you liked it! It made me feel good about myself. It really must be hard for Sheen eh? I hate the Capitol too. I loved your tributes and can't wait to start writing about them. I hope you enjoy reading this!**

 **To xQueen-Of-Applesx : Thank you for reviewing! I hope the story's good!**

 **To Wincestcher: I'm so glad you like my writing style. Thank you for the review and the tributes! I can't wait for the reapings myself. I hope they're good! :)**

 **To santiago. poncini** **20** **: Thank you for the compliment! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**

 **To minhosgirl: Once again, thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I'm glad you liked Darkness! I loved your tributes! :) Hope you enjoy!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Truly, I can't thank you enough for all your amazing reviews for my stories. They really motivate me! I hope the Games are good, This is my first SYOT after all. I hope I can write all the characters well! And lastly but definitely not leastly (is that a word?), I hope you enjoy my story!**

 **To Guest: Haha, thank you so much! Hope you like reading the rest! ;)**

 **Please submit! I love all the tributes I've gotten till now, and am sure that the rest will be just as amazing! Happy reading!**

 **Until next time then…**

 **:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Reapings:**

 **District 6:**

 **Lisette Osborn's POV:**

"Wake up Lisette!"

I groaned. My face was buried in my soft pillow, so all that could be heard was a muffled sound of annoyance. I picked my head off the pillow and muttered "Five more minutes…"

I felt my shoulder being furiously shaken by someone. Annoyed to great lengths, I sat up on my bed and glared at the 'someone'. My elder brother Jace stood there with a grim look on his face. His brown hair was disheveled, and his shirt was buttoned wrong.

"It's reaping day. We wouldn't wanna miss that, would we?" He said. His voice cracked just the slightest. My eyes grew wide. Fear woke me up fast. Today was the day. The day I feared most. I sat up on my bed, trying to keep my emotions in control. I'd dreaded this day, and I couldn't believe it was here.

I looked at Jace with wide eyes, gripping his hand tightly. I wanted some consolation. Jace pulled me into a tight hug and whispered into my hair. "It'll be okay Lissy. You'll be alright. It won't be you."

"But what if it is, Jace? What if it is? I'll end up in the arena, and I'll end up like… Like…" I stuttered to an end. "Like Kally."

Just the previous year, my elder sister Kally had been reaped for the fifty-sixth annual Hunger Games. A strong-willed and determined young woman, I'd been hoping she would make it back home. Unfortunately, that was not to be. It was only the third day of the Hunger Games, when Kally had been bludgeoned to death by the monster from District One. The boy had actually laughed, as Kally begged him to spare her. That had been the worst day of my life, seeing my caring elder sister slowly die at the hands of a beast.

From that day on, the nightmares would frequent my sleep. I'd always dream about myself getting reaped, and the boy from One mercilessly killing me, the way he had Kally. I'd wake up crying, and Jace would always be there to comfort me. He would assure me that I would never meet the same fate as my sister.

Being only twelve, this year was my first reaping. We hailed from District Six, but we definitely weren't as poor as some of the other families. My parents both worked hard to feed Jace and myself. We weren't the richest people to walk the surface of the Earth, but we were pretty well off. Even without Kally's additional income, I had to take out only three tessarae, Jace having taken out four.

But this day still sent shivers down my back. I didn't want to go to the town square. I was deathly scared that when our Escort would call out the name of the female tribute, it would be mine.

Jace pulled away and looked at me with concern in his eyes. We shared the same brown hair and hazel eyes. "Well, look at it this way Lissy. At least we don't have to go to work today."

I managed a chuckle. After Kally's death, my parents' incomes hadn't been enough to support the family. Jace and I had ended up working at the factory too, as wheel testers. It wasn't a very high post, and our income was meager. But it added to the family.

I pushed the sheets off myself and climbed out of bed. Jace smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I found my way over to the bathroom door and pushed it open. Inside, the mirror showed me my bed raggled expression.

I wasn't the prettiest of girls. Not by a long shot. My brown hair was messy, falling to the middle of my back in loose curls. My hazel eyes didn't have the usual twinkle one would see in a twelve-year old. I sighed and opened the tap. My ears picked up the gush of the water, as I tried to swallow my fear. Jace was right. It couldn't be me. My name was only in the bowl four times. There were thousands of other names. What were the odds?

As I sat at the breakfast table, I could see the worry in my parent's eyes. Kally's death had been a huge blow to our family. It had left my mother broken, and my father paranoid. He would let Jace and I go anywhere except to school, work and back.

"Hurry up with the beans Rachael. We can't be late for Reapings, you know that." My father called out to my mother, who was in the kitchen. "They're almost ready Kimball! Have a little patience will you?"

My parents were trying to sound nonchalant, but the stress in their tones was clear. This sent another shiver rolling down my back. I looked down at my empty bowl, trying my level best to keep the fear away. I could feel Jace take my hand. I looked up at him to find him giving me a reassuring smile. It wouldn't be me. It couldn't be me.

It couldn't…

~.~.~.~.

 **Otto Freight's POV**

The back of my eyelids lit up with an orange glow, informing me of the arrival of the sun. I opened them, and saw my mother pulling open the curtains to my window. She smiled down at me, her kind eyes having just the slightest tinge of worry.

"Wake up Otto. It's Reaping day."

I sat up on my bed and smiled back at her. She sat down on my bed and rubbed my cheek affectionately. "Go brush up. I've made your favorite today. Tomato soup with a hint of basil. Just the way you like it."

"Is this because you think I might be reaped and won't ever come back to you?" I asked. I immediately wished I hadn't. My mother's face became panicked and she hugged me close. "Don't talk like that! You know I couldn't stand losing you!"

I tried to pull away, but she had a tight grip. "Ma, I was joking. Jeez, really." I said, my words being slightly muffled by her shirt. She finally pulled away, and I exaggerated taking a deep breath in, as if to show that she'd been choking me.

"Good. I'd hope so. My little boy isn't getting taken away from me. Now, go wash up, or you won't get breakfast and I'll give it all to the cat."

She gave me another smile before exiting my room. I pushed off my covers and lazily got out of bed. My bare feet touched the cold floor, sending a tingle up my skin. I made my way towards the bathroom, and threw the water in my face. I brushed my hair back as best as I could, and slipped on some decent looking clothes.

I shared my mother's brown eyes, but she told me that the rest of me was from my father. The creep of a guy took off on my mother once she told him about me. She'd been merely seventeen at the time. Since then, she'd worked day and night to provide enough for me to eat. She'd barely be at home during the day, and at night, she would devote all her time to me.

I couldn't have asked for a better parent. She never let me feel the absence of a father.

I ran downstairs, the appetizing smell of my mother's tomato soup driving me towards the kitchen. She smiled when she saw me standing in the doorway.

"Is my little boy all ready?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. "Ma, please. I'm fourteen for crying out loud! I'm not your little boy anymore!" I protested. She shook her head.

"You'll always be my little boy."

I grinned up at her, while slurping down a huge gulp of my soup. I hurriedly finished the rest of it, and bounded to the front door. Just as I was about to throw it open, my mother called out after me. "Where're you going, Otto?" she asked, sounding perplexed.

"Out, Ma! I want to meet up with Aubrey before the Reapings! We decided we'd go to them together." I said. My mother smirked.

"Aubrey, huh? Well then go on! I wouldn't want to stop you from that!" she said. I could feel my cheeks heat up. I hurriedly put on my tattered shoes, and rushed out the door, leaving my mother laughing behind.

Aubrey Charles was my best friend. We'd met each other at the tender age of six, and had been best friends since then. We were completely different from each other, but somehow, that just made our bond stronger. Aubrey was the topper of the class, always the perfect one. I was the class clown, the ridiculous boy with the bad jokes. I cracked jokes to have people laugh at them, but often their laughter was directed towards me. I was brushed off by everyone at school; they dismissed my offer of friendship, telling me in my face that I was too clingy. The only person who stuck with me was Aubrey.

Some days I would find it hard to believe that a perfect person like her would be friends with a weirdo like me.

"Otto!"

I turned at the sound of my name being called, and found myself looking at Aubrey. She ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck. She pulled away quickly and punched my shoulder. "Otto Frieght! You do not leave me waiting like that! I've been waiting for over ten minutes!" she exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. "Forgive me your majesty, for that humungous delay."

She took my arm and pulled me along. "Come on! We're almost late for the Reapings!" she said, as she started dragging me towards the town square. "Alright, alright! I'm coming!" I laughed, shaking my wirst free. She slowed down to a normal pace, and the two of us headed in the direction of the Square.

I stole a glance at Aubrey. Her blond hair looked perfect, as usual, and her green eyes sparkled, despite the occasion of Reaping day. Aubrey was pretty, no one would deny that, but her best quality was her kindness. It didn't matter who you were, Aubrey was nice to everyone. She caught me staring and smiled. I quickly looked away, heat rising up to my cheeks.

The town square was milling with people of different ages. I headed off to join the fourteen-year-old boys group, while Aubrey found her place at the fourteen-year-old girls group. I looked at her one final time before turning my gaze towards the podium.

"Welcome!" Our escort exclaimed. He jumped up to the stage, and clapped his hands loudly together. Azure was younger amongst the mentors, and one of the least strange-looking. The only thing artificial about him was his striking blue hair, which stood up in all directions. He wasn't overly-peppy, but not dull and boring either. I wouldn't say I _liked_ him, but he certainly was better than the others.

"Welcome to the fifty-seventh Annual Hunger Games. Now is the time to choose the brave warriors who will get the chance to represent District Six at this year's Games!" He said. "We'll start with the men." He winked at us and headed over to the bowl. Prayer after prayer fled up from my soul. I found myself desperately wishing that it wouldn't be me. My fists were clenched so hard, I could feel the blood circulation stop in them.

"Otto Freight!"

My heart fell. I could hear a gasp of shock escape my dried lips. I didn't think I'd heard him correctly, until he called out my name again. It was happening. It was actually happening. I had been reaped for the Hunger Games.

I tried to keep my face blank as I headed up to the stage. I could feel the tears in my eyes, but I refused to let them spill. As I climbed up to the stage, I could hear the faint sobs of someone coming from the fourteen-year-old girls section. It had to be Aubrey.

"Well well well! Who do we have here?" Azure patted my back. "Anything to say, young man?" he asked. I shook my head. If I tried to say anything, I might have broken down then and there.

"Right then! Now for the lovely ladies!" our escort cried as walked over to the girl's bowl. Before I could even pray for Audrey, he yelled out "Lisette Osborn!"

Immediately I heard a cry from the twelve-year-old section. I felt terrible. It was one thing to go into the Games. It was another entirely to go to the Games at such a young age. Of course, I wasn't all that old myself…

A small girl appeared, rubbing her eyes. She looked pale, as though she knew she was doomed. She walked upto the stage crying. Azure reached down and helped her up. "Hello there young Lady! Lisette, isn't it? You want to say something to our audience?" he said softly. I knew Azure was trying to calm the girl down in his own strange way, but it clearly wasn't working. The girl simply cried.

He led her to the centre of the stage. I held out my hand, and she managed to shake it. I could feel the tears on her hand. I tried for a reassuring smile, but failed. We both knew for a fact that we were going to come home in a wooden box.

The peacekeepers dragged me inside and threw me into the waiting room. It seemed only moments before my mother came rushing in through the door.

"Oh Otto!" she sobbed, pulling me into a hug. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe this happened!" she cried. I patted her back as best as I could. She pulled away and looked at me with watery eyes. "Listen to me Otto. You can't give up, okay? You're going to try as hard as you possibly can, and I want to see my little boy return home a victor."

I nodded. "You got it Ma…" I couldn't bring myself to say anymore. She hugged me again, staying there for a while. She finally let go and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Mama will see you soon, okay?" She said before heading out.

Almost immediately, Aubrey came in. Before I could say anything, she wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug. "You're coming back, Otto. I know you are." She said. She pulled away and looked into my eyes.

I nodded. "Yes your Majesty." I said. "Aubrey I…" I began, but was cut off by Peacekeeper throwing open a door. "Time's up!" he growled. Aubrey hurriedly pushed something into my palm and ran out, casting a smile at me.

I looked at the object in my hand. It was my lucky bronze coin, the one I always carried with myself. I had no idea how Aubrey had it, but I was thankful she did.

I couldn't afford to give up so easily. I had to try for my mother. For Aubrey. I simply couldn't give up…

~.~.~.~.

 **Lisette's POV**

"Lisette!" My mother yelled as she ran into the waiting room. I was squished between my family in a huge group hug. Mother took my face in her hands. "Lisette, please, please just try to come back to us." She cried.

"We did everything we could. We didn't even let her take too many tessarae! How could this happen?" My father threw up his hands in exasperation.

"If I could, I'd strangle the entire Capitol now." Jace growled. I put on a smile and held his hand. He gave me a stern look.

"Don't you give me that look Lisette, don't you _dare_ give me that look." He warned. I pulled back. "What look?" I asked, slightly confused.

"The I'm-never-going-to-see-you-guys-again look. You're winning this thing and coming back to us. Alive." He said. My parents nodded in agreement. I almost started crying again, merely at the thought of losing my family. After another brief hug, the three of them were dragged out by white-uniformed Peacekeepers.

I sat down, covering my face. I didn't want to lose my family. I had a life ahead of me. I fidgeted with my golden heart locket, something Jace had given me for my tenth birthday. He seemed so sure that I was coming back. Whether alive or not was the real question…

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: There it is folks! The first Reapings! Thank you minhosgirl and Mystical Pine Forest for these amazing tributes! They are both really sweet and fun to write about! Hope y'all enjoyed! This was literally my first attempt, so my apologies if it isn't good.**

 **To Lifelong potterhead: Thank you so much! I'm glad I was able to describe it well! And I really didn't think I wrote that well, and thank you for saying that!**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: I couldn't believe it! I'd done that for other fics, but I couldn't imagine doing that to someone with my own story! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **To santiago. poncini20: I'm glad you liked the part! As for Dane, his District is a suspense ;). Hope you Enjoy! :)**

 **To minhosgirl: I'm so ahppy you liked the chapter! I'm really proud to say that I thought of the Atlantis thing myself. I know, its stupid to be so proud at a thing like that, but I can't help it! :)**

 **To Reader Castellan: I agree, they were hideous. Thank you for the compliment and I hope you enjoy the rest!**

 **To deny: You were just in time! I loved Dwayne as a character! He will be in District 11. Im glad the detailing was good, I was a tad worried about how I'd written it! Thank you for the compliment, it made me really happy! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: Thank you for such a nice review,, it makes me so happy to see that people enjoy my story! I'm glad you liked Dane! :)**

 **To chasing-wonderland: I got my final tribute! Yay! I'm so happy you liked the chapter!:)**

 **To Embers To Ashes: Yeah, it probably wasn't a word. Dane's district, like I said before, is a suspense. But you guys will find out soon enough! Hope the story's good!**

 **To maliceismyname: I cannot apologize enough for this, but I already have tributes for both District two and eight. I had received a tribute for Eight already. I sincerely loved your character, and am very sad to say this. The thing is, fand I dont know why this happens, but the guest reviews show up a few days after they're posted. It makes me seriously sad, saying no to a tribute like yours. I hope you still like my story! Once again, our character was amazing, and I'm truly sorry. :(**

 **Until next time then…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Reapings**

 **District Five**

 **Raymond Tate's POV:**

The President begged me to stop my dagger. I laughed a maniacal laugh and dug the weapon into his chest. His blood watered the gray stone of the floor. We were in the tribute centre. And I was murdering the President of Panem.

"WAKE UP!"

The voice shattered the dream. I opened my eyes reluctantly; I didn't want the dream to have ended. The sunlight blinded me for a moment, and when I regained my eyesight, I saw the blurry figure of a tall man standing by the foot of my bed. I fumbled on my bed stand for my glasses. My fingers felt the cool metal, and I slipped them on. My father's face came into clear view.

"Mornin' Dad." I said sourly. I hadn't expected a very warn 'wake up' from my father. In fact, I was lucky he didn't dump me into cold water. Yes, normal people dump cold water on others to wake them up. My dad had it the other way round. He'd dump me in the water.

"Wake up son, you'll be late for Reaping Day." He said curtly before heading out. I shoved off my covers and stood up. I could see my reflection in the mirror by my bedside. My cinnamon-colored hair fell into my face in a haphazard way. My green eyes were dull and did nothing to go with my porcelain complexion. My eyebrows were furrowed; many people told me it was because I scowled so much. I was tall and thin, much taller than one would expect a twelve-year old to be.

I sighed and got ready as fast as I could. Today was Reaping day. The day two people from District Five would be chosen to go into the Hunger games and die a gory death.

I hated the Capitol. What they did to the Districts was not only despicable, but also inhuman. The President deserved to be executed in Public, for what he had done. We lived like rats, while they got to live like kings and queens. What made me even more repulsed was the fact that people actually trained to go into these Games. They were nothing but puppets of the damn Capitol.

I head downstairs to find that my mother and father had already readied themselves. They stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at me with cross expressions. I rolled my eyes just the slightest and pushed past them, walking towards the kitchen to get myself something to eat. I'd never get anything better than a simple sandwich in this place.

"You overslept." My mother said. I almost laughed. There wasn't any sort of comfort in her voice. She didn't even bother trying to console me. This was my first Reaping, and any other parent would have been hugging their child, trying to tell them that they wouldn't be selected. Nothing like that happened in my family. My parents were so cold towards me, after a while I forgot that they were even my parents.

The whole world was like this. Filled with cruel people who cared about no one other than themselves. I wouldn't say I'm the most selfless person either, but that was how I had to adapt myself. I'd realized at a very young age that in this world, if you wanted something, you'd have to get it for yourself.

Every death in the Hunger Games gave more substance to my belief. The twenty-four tributes would slaughter each other without blinking an eye. The few who had been reluctant to turn into monsters would end up dead.

So I became one of them. A cold, unfeeling person. I admit it, and I wasn't ashamed. I never showed my emotions, no exceptions. I refused to feel anything. If I felt even a tiny slimmer of feeling inside me, I would bury it down to the depths of my heart, refusing to let it show. I'd learnt from the Games that if you let your emotions control you, you'd end up in a wooden box.

"Get ready, will ya? We can't be late for the Reapings." My father said in a stiff voice. I'd never heard a soft word from him. My mother wasn't any better. I glared at him. "Fine." I spat.

It didn't take me long. After all, I didn't get why anyone would dress up all fancy for something like the Reaping Day. It made no sense to me. I adjusted my glasses before heading out the door. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see me father looking down at me. For the first time, I saw what may have been a tiny glimpse of softness in his eyes.

"It won't be you, son." He said. I was a little surprised at this, but he let go of my shoulder quickly and walked ahead. My mother followed him without another word to me. Shaking my head, I went after them. The only thought on my mind was the Reaping.

 **Frankie-Leigh Voltz's POV**

"Move it Pea-brain!" I yelled at the young boy in front of me. I was standing in line to get myself some milk, and this puny kid was simply refusing to move. Unable to take it anymore, I let out a groan of frustration and shoved his aside.

He fell to the floor, his expression shocked and scared. He couldn't have been more than eleven, still too young to go to the Games. I sneered. "You shoulda moved when I told you to."

"That's mean." I heard a soft cry of protest from behind me. I turned towards the source and found a little girl standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. "You shouldn't do that, you know." She said in an annoying high-pitched voice. I let out a snort.

"Oh yeah? And what're you gonna do, kid?" I sniggered. She stuck out her tongue at me. My mouth dropped open in shock. This tiny little girl had the nerve to talk to me like that!

I lunged forward and grabbed her hair, yanking her head up. She cried in pain and tried to free herself. "Listen, punk. Next time you think of standing up to Frankie-Leigh, don't." I dropped her to the floor, and she rubbed her head, tears falling from her eyes.

I grabbed the milk and shoved the money into the shopkeeper's hand. He was staring at me in a strange manner. I glared at him. "What're you lookin' at?"

He shook his head and went back to work. My eyes scanned the entire shop and I saw that almost everyone was giving me funny looks. Some glared at me, some gave me disdainful glances. I scowled at every single one of them and headed out, slamming the door shut behind me.

Once outside, I let out a frustrated yell and kicked a rock. I had underestimated the force and ended up stubbing my toe. I howled in pain and knelt down, clutching my foot.

"Why does this always happen to ME!?" I yelled at the sky. People passed me by, but no one gave me a second glance. In District Five, no one really gave a rat's butt about anyone else. To live a normal life, you'd have to be self-centered and uncaring. The softies usually died from starvation or some other disease.

All this was because of the Capitol. They lived their luxurious lives, while we got to live like pigs. Every year they'd send twenty-four innocent people away to some random place and have them kill each other, just for their entertainment. If that wasn't loathsome, I don't know what was.

And as though being ruled over by a bloodthirsty Capitol led be a crazed President wasn't enough, I had the luck to be stuck in this miserable District. Everyone looked at me with an odd eye; I swear, if I simply jumped of a building, they'd be standing below, telling me to do a flip. There wasn't a single person in this god-forsaken place whom I could call my own.

Of course, there had been many people. Many people that I cared about. My sister, my friends, and most importantly, my parents. But all of that had been snatched away from me in an instant. It took Fate a grand total of fifteen minutes to change happy-go-lucky Frankie into Doesn't-give-a-poop-about-others Frankie.

My parents had lost their lives in an accident. I still remembered clutching their bloodied bodies, begging them to come back. I'd been merely twelve, my elder sister Dayna fourteen. Our parents had been taken away from us, leaving the two of us to survive on our own in a District like Five.

I stood up shakily. I couldn't be all sorry for myself; self-pity got no one anywhere. I brushed the dirt off my pants and pushed my hair out of my face. The damn thing simply wouldn't stay in place. I muttered a few profanities before clipping it back.

I sulkily walked back home, clutching the milk packet tightly so that no thief would snatch it away. If they did, there would be one more body in the morgue. I opened the door to my bland house and threw the packet onto the table.

My house wasn't anything extraordinary. In fact, it wasn't even clean most of the time. I lived alone, and I wasn't exactly Miss Perfection. There had been others in this place, of course. Five years ago, whole family of four lived here. But then, the parents died and left the two daughters alone.

Dayna had lived with me for three years before moving to her fiancé's flat. She still stopped by sometimes, but that would be as often as seeing a blue moon. From then on, I lived all by myself, looking out for myself, feeding myself, trying hard to get a meal for myself.

I was already running slightly late for the Reapings. I hurried to my room and threw open the cupboard. Fashion was a little below rocks in my list of priorities. I grabbed a black blouse and a skirt that went about three-fourth down to my knees. I didn't really care what I looked like, but I stole a glance at the mirror. Well, at least no one would be running off in terror as they saw me.

I stomped out of the house, shutting the door as I went. Even if a thief would manage to break in, they'd find literally nothing. I stood outside the door and took a deep breath in. I hadn't allowed myself to be nervous about the Reapings until now, but now that the hour had come, I couldn't help but feel slightly queasy. I had taken out quite a few tessarae, but District Five had a huge population. It couldn't possibly be me.

I clipped my hair out of my face (again) and started walking towards the Square. As I walked, I thought back to my previous feelings. I couldn't help but wonder how it must've felt like to live in the victor's Village, away from all this. I hated District Five with all my heart, the lace had given me nothing but misery. I envied the victors who stayed in the beautiful cottages, secluded from the rest of the District.

Without realizing it, I found that I had reached the Square. I headed towards the Seventeen-year-old girl's section, and stood in midst of all the others. I could hear a few of them whispering something about me, but I decided to ignore it.

I did however size up our mentors. One was the Victor from the forty-eighth Hunger Games, Aaran Surge. I still remembered his Games. He had stalked the tributes and slaughtered them; he'd even been nicknamed the 'Phantom Menace' by the career pack. He'd won his Games by shoving the last tribute into lava.

We were supposed to have a female and male mentor, but the sole surviving female victor from Five died a few months ago, so the Capitol had no choice but to give us two male mentors. I looked at the second one. He'd won his games by torturing another boy. He was nicknamed the 'Psycho of District Five' by the people of our District after he'd come back from the Games. He was the victor of the fifty-sixth Annual Hunger Games.

Dane Evans.

I knew for a fact that many girls at school fancied him. He wasn't all that bad-looking, with hs boyish blond hair and gray eyes. But no one talked to him. One simply couldn't; every time we saw his face, the image of him torturing that little boy would pop up in our brains. He was staring at our section, and it took me a moment to figure out why.

His sister was seventeen. She wasn't exempted from the Reapings. Of course Dane would have been worried.

I was snapped away from my thoughts as our Escort pranced onto the stage. Evana Stone was a peppy lady in her late thirties, though she tried to look about ten years younger. She had three buns in her hair, and her skin was dyed a strange yellow. She looked like something a skunk would puke up.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the Reapings of the fifty-seventh annual Hunger Games! Let's start with the men, shall we?" She winked at the entire section of boys and headed over to their bowl. She brought out a slip of paper, and read out the name "Raymond Tate!"

I heard some shuffling in the twelve-year-old section, and a tall boy walked out, looking slightly shocked. He quickly masked it with a expressionless face. The Peacekeepers tried to assist him, but he walked ahead, shooting them a loathsome look.

"Hello there! Would you like to say something to our people?" Evana asked. The boy simply scowled at her and looked towards the ground. She shrugged and headed over to the girls' bowl. She fumbled around a bit before bringing out a thin white piece. She opened it up, but before reading out the name, let out a little chuckle. I felt slightly confused, but all confusion was cleared when she called out the name.

"Diana Evans!"

Dane jumped up from his seat, looking a little panicked. No, scratch that. He looked as though he would have a panic attack on the spot. He rushed over to Evana and grabbed the piece of paper from her hand, startling her a little. He read the name carefully, as though Evana may have made some mistake. He looked towards our section, his eyes red, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

A tall and thin girl started walking towards the stage, her eyes filled with tears. I almost laughed. Why was she sweating this? Her brother would do anything and everything he could to make her victor. If she won in the Games, she would never have to come back to this horrid place again. She would live in the Victor's village, away from this place. I would have given to be in her place.

And then it hit me. I could have what she did. I had a chance to get away from this place once and for all. I had a chance to separate myself from District Five. I'd always wanted to get away from this District. This was the perfect opportunity. Before I could think again, I waved my hand in the air, drawing everyone's attention towards myself.

"I volunteer!"

One could have heard a pin drop in the silence. Dane was staring at me with wide eyes, and Diana really was sobbing now. Evana looked as though someone had poked her between the eyes. Ignoring the murmurs that started creeping through the silence, I walked up to the stage, my chin held high. The Peacekeepers led Diana back to our section, as I climbed onto the stage.

"A volunteer! May I ask the name, young lady?" Evana asked, patting my back. I glared at her. "Frankie-Leigh Voltz." I said simply.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our tributes for this year's Games, Frankie-Leigh Voltz and Raymond Tate!"

No one clapped. I'd have been surprised if they would have. I shook the boy's hand, and I could feel the hate in his eyes. Something told me that the two of us weren't all that different. His eyes were cold and ufeeling; something told me he'd be a ruthless killer.

I was dragged to the Justice building and thrown inside the waiting room. The first person to visit me was Dayna. I felt absolutely nothing towards her. She was annoyed at the fact that I had volunteered.

"Why did you do it, Frankie?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. I rolled my eyes but said nothing. She stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.

"Listen. You aren't a weakling. You have the potential. Try hard, and you can come back." She said. I nodded, but stayed silent. She studied my face, and decided that this conversation was to end here. She hugged me once more and went out.

The next person took me slightly by surprise. It was Diana Evans. She burst into the room sobbing. She hugged me tight, almost squeezing the breath out of me. She hastily pulled away and grabbed my shoulders.

"I don't have much time." She said in a hurried voice. "All I want to say is thank you. I can never repay you for what you've done."

I shrugged off her arms. "Yeah, whatever." I snapped. I really wasn't in the mood for all this sappy stuff. She nodded sadly, wiping the tears from her eyes. She thanked me once more before going out.

All I had to do now was wait…

 **Raymond Tate's POV:**

My parents burst into the room. For the first time, my mother was sobbing. She kissed my forehead and sobbed into my shoulder. Needless to say, this took me slightly aback.

"Listen, son." My father said. "You can do this. You're skilled with weapons, and have a good mind." He looked down when I didn't reply. "Come back to us, will you?"

I was too surprised to say anything. My parents never showed any emotion.

My father strung a locket around my neck. "Take this as your token." He said curtly. The two of them pulled me into a hug, and pulled away briskly. They didn't even wait for the Peacekeepers to arrive. They simply went out with a simple "good Luck."

And there were my parents. Why did I think they were going to tell me how much they loved me? Or anything soft? The only thing they'd given me was one kiss and a stupid locket. Frustrated, I yanked the locket off and threw it aside. I was going to come back alright. I wasn't going to let emotion weigh me down.

Emotional people never survived.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: here are the replies, sorry if they're short, I'm really tired. :( Thanks to Reader Castellan and Embers to Ashes for these amazing tributes, I hope I was able to do them justice! :)**

 **xQueen-of-Applesx: Thank you! I like Lisette too!**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: Thank you! I understand, it is uncommon, but I suppose it adds diversity? I like Otto too!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Um, I didn't really have a reason for starting with six… Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **To Josephm611: Thank you so much for the advice! I'll keep it in mind!**

 **To lifelong potterhead: haha, I'm glad you liked them! Thanks for the compliment!**

 **To AgentWriter: I agree, it was tragic. I'll try not to make any errors. Thanks for the review!**

 **To MidnightRaven323: They are pretty young! As for the Reapings, well, you'll have to wait and see about Lisette! ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **To Reader Castellan: Thank you so much! Hope you liked this one!**

 **To Sally the Lioness: I agree, the two are really sweet! Hope this chapter was good too!**

 **Guest: I got the character! YAY!:)**

 **To chasing-wonderland: They made me sad too. :( Hope this Reaping was good!**

 **To maliceismyname: Thank you so much for still reading! It was really sad about Lisette, and I felt bad for Otto too. I really don't have a favorite tribute, I love all! :)**

 **Deny: Thank you! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Mystical Pine Forest: I'm so glad I did justice to Lissy's character! Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Dustbin Doorknob: Thanks for reading! Hope this is good!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Reapings:**

 **District Four:**

 **Kyle Daniels' POV:**

"Oof!" I grunted as I was tackled to the floor. My opponent twisted my arm around my back, in a weak attempt to make me surrender. Yeah, right. As if that was going to happen.

Heaving a deep breath, I shoved him off myself and watched his fall to the floor. The impact took the air out of him, giving me my chance. I pinned him to the ground and planted my knee on his back. I took his hands in one of mine, and used my other hand to pull up his neck. The boy still refused to surrender. I yanked harder, and thankfully, the boy saw light. He tapped his hands vigorously against the mat, howling in pain.

I got off him and stood up. I reached down with my hand, offering it to the other boy. He nodded at me and took it, hoisting himself up.

"Good match there Kyle." He told me.

Beside us, I could see the trainer shaking his head, looking slightly amused. He walked up to us and patted my back. "Looks like we know who our volunteer for this year'll be, eh Kai?" He said in his usual booming voice. I grinned, satisfied.

"I'll be getting back, sir. The Reapings start in less than an hour." I told him. He nodded at me.

"Right. We wouldn't want our star to look un-pretty for the cameras, now would we?" A girl's voice called out. I looked over to see Jade Crystal smirking at me. I rolled my eyes at her, not giving her the pleasure of knowing she'd annoyed me.

Without another word to anyone else, I shuffled out the Training Room, grabbing my jacket on the way. I brushed the sweat off my brow; wrestling took a lot of work. I needed to get home quickly and look human for the cameras. If I was going to volunteer, I might as well have looked the part.

I was going to volunteer for the games this year; that had been decided by Fate a long time ago. Being part of a family of nine meant nine mouths to feed. More so because of the six other kids in the house. Not even my parent's incomes were enough to feed all of us. There had been many a days when I had gone to sleep on an empty stomach, having sneaked my food to my siblings when my parents hadn't been looking. It had pained me, seeing the two of them work day and night to put the food on the table.

I had become a fisher at a very young age; twelve to be precise. But in a District where there was a fisher in every household, no buyer paid attention to a scrawny kid with about five fish to sell.

So I had adopted another way. I would pass by the Victor's village each day, gazing at the people there, living happily. I figured that if I won the Games, we'd never have to worry about food again. My parents had been reluctant, but I had started training anyway. I knew that winning the Games would solve our problems.

So I trained. I trained and I trained. There hadn't gone one day when I hadn't been standing outside the Training room door, waiting for it to be opened. Every day, my ears would be treated to the sound of sword clanging, as metal clashed against metal. Every day I would enter the Training Room and be surrounded by the dull gray walls, waiting for the training to start.

I was confident. I had trained long and hard to come to this level; I had planned on volunteering once I reached the age of eighteen. That had been my goal ever since I was thirteen. To win the Games and give my parents the financial support they needed. I was ready for this year's Hunger Games. I would win, and then, we wouldn't ever have to worry about financial stability again.

Still, as I thought about gutting someone else to have the crown placed on my head, I couldn't deny that my stomach did a tiny turn. If I was going to win, twenty-three other people would have to die. Some of them at my hands. I may have been ready for the games, but I wasn't a monster.

I shook my head. These thoughts were irrelevant. If I wanted to win the Games, I would have to kill. That's why I had trained all this while. I needed to win these Games, and I couldn't afford to be emotional and weak.

"Ah!" I cried out as I bumped into someone. I heard books litter the floor, which shook me out of my string of thoughts.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" someone exclaimed. I looked to see who I had bumped into, and saw a pretty girl stoop down to pick up her fallen books. Out of politeness, I bent down as well, offering my help.

"Sorry 'bout that. I shoulda been looking." I muttered meekly. The girl looked up at me, her expression appalled. "Oh, no! Why're you sorry? It was silly of me to be so absorbed in a book, which was totally amazing, by the way, and I really should be the one to be apologizing and-"

She stopped, giving me a sheepish look. I could feel my eyes widen, as she had blabbed on. "Sorry. I'm just so… anyways, you really shouldn't apologize." She smiled, as I placed the last book in her hands. My mouth was slightly open, but I closed it. I nodded at her and got up.

"Hey, I'm Anna by the way." She said as I started walking away. I stopped, sighing internally, and turned around. "Kyle." I stated. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I know who you are. You're pretty popular at school. I've seen you in training as well." She said. She probably would have said more, but I quickly told her that I needed to be home before the Reapings. She looked a little disappointed as I walked away.

I shook my head. I knew her from school. Anna Austen was one of the nicer girls of our District, but the only thing was, she sometimes tended to be _too_ nice. I knew for a fact that people found her slightly annoying. I mean don't get me wrong, I had nothing against sweet people. But when she responded to someone insulting her with a giggle, one would feel a tad strange.

I walked up to the brass handle of the door to my house and knocked on the surface. It wasn't anything fancy, a simple homely door for a simple homely family. My mother andswered, and immediately my face broke into a huge grin.

"Kai!" she said, and she pulled me into a hug. "Put on some nice clothes, will you? I want my boy looking perfect today. You're already late for Reapings! Everyone's ready, did you know? We're waiting for you!" she burst out. I laughed.

"Yeah, I'll get ready if you let me come in Mom." I told her. Her eyes widened, and she hurriedly ushered me inside. I found my siblings sitting on a couch, slightly crowded, but not so much so that they'd feel squished. I smiled at them and headed up to my room.

I threw on a black shirt and navy blue pants. I fumbled a bit with my crimson-colored tie, but managed to make it look passable. I stood back and examined my reflection in the mirror. As I looked myself up and down, I couldn't help but smile.

I wouldn't say I was God's gift to mankind in the way of looks, but I could have been deemed good-looking. I had golden-blonde hair with a few streaks of pale blonde, which swept over my brow. I had fairly tanned skin from swimming three hours every day, with sharp gray eyes and muscled arms. I wasn't too buff, but I wasn't skinny either; a good physical shape for a career. My smile grew wider. I was hoping my looks would get me at least a few sponsors from the Capitol.

A yell from my mother, and I ran down the stairs. My mother, pleased with my appearance, gave me a light kiss on the forehead. I had a little trouble gathering up my siblings, but as we headed out, I had only one thought on my mind.

Kai Daniels was going to be the male tribute from District four.

 **Anna Austen's POV:**

"Hey mom, I'm home!" I called out as I threw the door open. I was greeted by my mother's caring smile, as she fastened the tie on my elder brother Thomas. He grinned at me, but his grin was slightly pained. I could see the bruise on the left side of his cheek. I walked up to him, my eyes wide.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing the sore spot. He shrugged. "Nothing much. Got it during training. The boy, Kai Daniels, he's tough I tell you. He'll probably be volunteering this year too. No, scratch that. He _is_ volunteering this year." Thomas answered, flinching a little as Mother tightened his tie. I nodded, but rubbed it a bit in an attempt to make the pain go. When it didn't work, I cast Thomas a sad look before going to my room.

I closed the door behind myself and sighed. I couldn't have asked for more. I had loving parents and a caring older brother. We were pretty well off; my dad owned a restaurant. I knew other kids who had painful pasts, their parents dead and their relatives abusive. I could thank my stars for a life as peaceful as mine.

Growing up in this peaceful atmosphere had given me the peaceful personality I had today. I hated violence. It wasn't just despicable; it actually hurt to see people get violent with others. During the broadcast of the Hunger Games, I would sit far away from the television, so I didn't have to see each gruesome detail in close up. I was against Thomas' training, but he assured me it was only to stay fit.

I sighed again and rummaged through my closet, looking for a dress fit for today. This wasn't particularly one of my favorite days, but I needed to look presentable just the same. I finally came up with a knee-length blue dress, and slipped it on. I brushed my curly black hair out of my face, and tied it back with a pin. The dress went fairly well with my dark skin and eyes. I was slightly plump, and not all that tall, but I wouldn't go so far as to call myself ugly. I twirled once, watching the dress frill out, and went out of my room.

"My girl's ready, is she?" My father took my face in his hands. I beamed at him. "Let's go then!" my mother urged. We shuffled out the door quietly. The day was calm and quiet, nothing strange, other than the fact that it was Reaping day, yet I felt a slight unease.

I calmed myself with a deep breath. My name was in there about six times. I hadn't taken out any tessarae for my family could do perfectly without that. District Four was a large District. What were the odds of my name being chosen?

And besides, I was sure that if by any chance, my name was called, someone else would volunteer. Girls trained day and night at the Training centre, something of which I never went within a mile radius. I couldn't possibly be the female tribute for this year's Games.

When I reached the Reaping Square, I had a little trouble locating the seventeen-year-old section. When I finally did, I walked up to it, to find a girl holding a boy's hand tightly, looking slightly anxious. I recognized the boy to be Kai, and the girl to be his sister Keira.

"You don't have to do this Kai. We'll get jobs and manage the household. Really, it won't be trouble." She said. Kai smiled and extricated his hand from her grasp.

"That's the point, Kee. I'm doing this so that y'all don't have to work. And besides, don't you think your handsome brother can win these games?" he said, adding a wink. Without waiting for a response, he ran off towards the eighteen-year-old boy's section, leaving Keira looking disappointed. I was about to say something to console her, but the shrill voice of our escort India ringing through the entire place.

"Welcome one and all! Finally, the day we've all been waiting for! The time to select our tributes for the Fifty-seventh annual Hunger Games! Let's begin with the ladies, shall we not?" she said. I couldn't deny the tumble my heart did as India walked up to the girl's bowl. Her blue dress was surprisingly normal, but her long nails forced her to take a little while to pick up the slip of paper. She opened it up and read out the name.

"Anna Austen!"

My heart fell _klump_. I could feel my insides freeze up. This couldn't be happening. India called my name again, and I saw no choice but to start walking towards the podium.

"Any volunteers?" our escort asked. I could feel my spirits lift. Surely someone would volunteer for me. I stopped in my tracks, looking expectantly at the girls of the older sections.

I was greeted by silence. As the realization dawned upon me, I felt hot tears trickle down my cheeks. I tried to stop them, but they refused to obey me. A slight poke in the back from a Peacekeeper, and I climbed up the stage, coming to a stop beside India, who looked a little disheartened to have no volunteers.

She put on a smile. "Do you want to say something?" she asked me. I shook my head; my tears wouldn't allow words to escape my mouth. I glanced at the audience and to my horror, saw a few smirks directed my way. I didn't know why this was happening, but whatever be the reason, this was terrible. I hadn't harmed a soul in my life, and now I needed to kill twenty-three other children, one of them my very own District partner?

India was already to the boy's bowl. She picked out a paper and read out the name "Zachary Golds!"

I looked at Kyle. In fact, almost every pair of eyes were trained on Kyle as a tall dark-skinned boy, who I assumed was Zachary Golds, walked up to the stage. I expected Kyle to bound up, yelling, but the strange thing was, he seemed to be hesitating. He shook it off and yelled out "I volunteer!"

Zachary slunk back to his section as Kyle mounted the stage. He was smiling, looking confident and proud. "And what would be the name?" India asked. Kyle grinned wider.

"Kyle Daniels. And hopefully when the Reapings of next year roll around, I'll be mentoring the tributes." He said. Applause rose up from the audience, and I could feel my hopes break even further. Kyle seemed so confident and ready, much different from my broken weeping self. As we shook hands, I could see him shoot me a reassuring smile.

I felt slightly better. Maybe my District partner wouldn't be a complete jerk like a few careers to go from our District. Maybe we could even become allies. I was pretty god with a knife after all. I groaned internally. I was getting ahead of myself. I needed to get past the bloodbath first.

I had barely entered the Justice building; when my parents and brother threw open the door, sweeping me into their arms. Mother was crying, and Father and Thomas had tears in their eyes. We didn't speak, just stood there for a while, trying to savor our last moments as a family.

"I'm going to see my girl again, you hear me?" My father said. I was too much of a sobbing mess to say anything.

"Take this, will you?" Thomas said, taking off his locket and swinging it round my own neck. It wasn't anything special; a simple crystal mounted on a silver chain, but it meant a lot. Especially as I was going to my death.

"Time's up!" The Peacekeepers had to yank my family away from me, for we simply didn't want to let go. I sat down hard on the chair, burying my face in my hands.

I let the tears flow.

 **Kyle Daniels' POV:**

My father threw the door open and gave me a bear hug. "I'm proud of my son." He said, pulling away. As my mother pulled my into her arms, I could see my father give me a sad smile. I grinned at him in a way that I hoped conveyed I'm-gonna-win-you-don't-gotta-worry.

"Kyle go fight!" my youngest sister Joanne said, wrapping her arms around my leg. I pulled her up and held her, giving her a small kiss on the nose. "Kyle go fight and Kyle come back!" I told her. One by one, my other siblings joined our hug, and soon, we were a tangle of bodies.

As they all pulled away, Keira stayed with her arms around my neck. "Come back, okay? I know you will, but…" She didn't finish. I patted her back. "Yeah, I know. Don't you worry Kee. I'm going to come back alright."

Our family simply stayed there, saying our goodbyes (though I assured them they were simply see-you-laters). When the Peacekeepers arrived, they left after a big family hug.

As I waited to be escorted out of the Justice building, I thought about the Reapings. My District partner Anna seemed weak, but kind and helpful. I had fought her brother Thomas earlier in the morning, but had no idea how much useful she was in a fight. I smirked to myself. It didn't matter. With my skill and training, I didn't really need my district partner all that much. One thought ran though my mind. One goal. One aim.

Kai Daniels would be the victor of the Fifty-Seventh Hunger Games.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: How was this? I apologize if the reapings are boring, but I believe they are something that show they Tribute's characters and personalities. I hope I did well with these two, I love them both so so so much! That you to Sally the Lioness and AgentWriter for these amazing tributes! Please tell me how I did! I didn't mention it in the last chapter, but I have Josephm611 to thank for Aaran Surge, the other mentor of D5. Thank you so much!**

 **Also, OMG OMG OMG OMG FIFTY-THREE REVIEWS ALREADY LIKE IMMA FAINT ON SPOT I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS HAHAHAHA!**

 **Right. Sorry. :)**

 **To lifelong potterhead: That's okay, I'm just thankful for the review! Hope you liked these characters!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: I'm so glad I was able to depict Frankie well; she really is an amazing character! Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **To Josephm611: hmm, I didn't think of it that way. I'll try not to be cliché with his character. I'm happy to hear that I did a good job! I respect your opinion of Frankie! And since I didn't mention this before, thank you so much for submitting Aaran Surge. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **To Reader Castellan: Thank you so much for the compliment! Raymond is a great character, and I'll have loads of fun writing about him!**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: I'm glad you liked it! I agree, Raymond is really cold, but (and I'm quoting the creator over here) a bad kid is kinda uncommon, eh? Hope you liked this update! :)**

 **To chasing-wonderland: They are alike, aren't they? I really hope this chapter was good too!:)**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: Like I've said before, if a certain thing about a character is overdone, I'll try to make it slightly different. Thank you so much for reviewing! :)**

 **To minhosgirl: It's okay if you don't like them. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and thank you so much for the compliment! It makes me so happy to hear that I've been improving! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: Thank you! Do tell me how I did with Anna in this chapter! Hope it was good! :)**

 **To deny: I never actually thought about it, but now that you mention it, DDane would go well with Seven as well… Well, I hope Five fits too, 'cause I thought it would suit his character! Hope this chapter was good!**

 **To maliceismyname: Thanks! And that is a really good suggestion! I'll see what I do after the reapings are done, but thanks for the advice! Hope you enjoyed this update!**

 **To Wincestcher: I'm so glad you liked the Atlantis concept! I felt bad for Dane too. Thank you so much for the compliments, I felt so motivated seeing them! I hope this chapter lived up to the expectations too! :)**

 **See y'all next time! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Reapings:**

 **District Ten:**

 **Colt Marshall's POV:**

BAM!

My knife hit the dead centre of the target. I pumped my fists in the air with a loud whoop. "Yeah baby!" I exclaimed. Beside me, my best friend Kaleb let out an exaggerated groan.

"That's the fifth time you've beaten me in a span of twenty minutes Colt. If this continues, I swear imma leave the sport altogether." He told me, trying his level best to keep a serious expression on his face. I turned my lips down in a sad face.

"Aww, is poor little Kaleb sad about losing? It's okay little Kaleb, you don't need to cry." I said, reaching over to wipe a 'tear' from his cheek. He pulled back, as I burst out laughing. I was joined by my other friend, Zippora.

"Give it up Kaleb. You've never been able to beat Colt anyway. The only person who can do that is me." She told him, a smirk playing on her face. I narrowed my eyes at her. She shrugged at me. "You know it's true." She said. I stuck out my tongue.

"Real mature, mate, _real_ mature." Kaleb said, not looking up from the target. He pulled his knives out and tossed them to me. I laughed, shaking my head. "Let's go again, shall we?" I proposed, passing a knife to Zippora. "Let's see who-"

"Colt Marshall!" a voice called out from the upper floors of our house. The door to the basement opened, and there stood my twenty-one-year old brother Everett, his hands on his hip, his eyes annoyed.

"Yes?" I asked innocently. I knew what he was going to say of course, however, I couldn't help but making him squirm a bit more. Zippora covered her mouth in a muffled laugh, and Kaleb just smirked. Everett stomped down the stairs, coming to a stop in front of me.

"It's Reaping day today, and you three are in the basement playing with knives!? Do you have any idea what a ruckus Mother has been creating?" he gave me a light shove; not too hard, but hard enough to let me know he meant business. My eyes widened. I'd totally forgotten about the Reapings. I checked my watch, and to my horror, found that there was a little over half-an-hour left for them.

I could tell my two friends had made the same blunder as myself, for they quickly gathered up their knives and readied their bags. Zippora gave me a fleeting hug, and Kaleb clapped me on the back. They hurried up the stairs of the basement, and I assumed, out of the house.

"See? Your friends have some brains. It would be good if you got some from them too." Everett told me. I gave him a confused look. "How is anyone supposed to borrow brains? Not only is that disgusting, but also slightly impossible." I said in a completely serious tone.

Everett groaned in frustration. I suppressed a laugh. I simply loved annoying my siblings so. "Relax Ever. I'll be ready in no time." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He glared at me, but the glare was filled with worry rather than anger.

"Good. 'Cause I want this thing over with as fast as possible. It's the last year for Ava, and the second last for you. By this time next year, I want both my siblings safe from the Games, okay?" he said. I didn't really know how to reply to this, so I simply said "You got it mate."

Everett nodded at me and headed up the stairs. I stacked my throwing knives in the corner and set aside the targets. Throwing knives was something of a sport in my District, and it was something I loved playing. I usually didn't like to brag, but I had to say that I had a knack for this sport too. My friends and I regularly played this in the basement of my house. I was better than Kaleb, but no one could beat Zippora (though I would never admit that out loud).

As I brushed off the dust from my pants I couldn't help but feel slightly queasy. I always felt like this on Reaping Day. Of course, I didn't have all that many chances of being selected, for my family was pretty well off, but one couldn't help feeling this way.

Last year, there had been a moment of terror for us, when my elder sister Ava had gotten Reaped. We'd thought we'd lost her, but she had been replaced by another girl. This one had been fairly psychotic, and had been taken out by a girl from Seven, a certain Winter Shade, if I recalled correctly.

This was Ava's last year. Next year, she'd be free from the worry of being reaped. However, I still had another year to go, assuming I wasn't reaped this time. At seventeen, my name was in the bowl six times. District Ten might not have been a huge district, but I wouldn't say I had a high chance of being reaped.

My family was one of the better off ones at Ten here. My father was hard working and reared the sheep with a lot of care. We lived off the wool and meat of the sheep he reared, and it had been sustaining us quite well till now. We didn't have a tragic background, or any horror-filled past. In fact, rarely did anyone in District Ten have such a past.

I shuddered slightly as I remembered last year's Games. The way that boy from Five had torn apart the kid from Eleven; it gave me the creeps just thinking about it. The Hunger Games changed people in ways that no one could imagine. I had seen tributes go off the deep end, or sometimes simply snap. There had been a boy like that, a few years ago. He'd lost it after his District partner got electrocuted, and ended up gutting everyone else.

I tiptoed across the living room on my way to my room, in an attempt to go unnoticed by my mother. It didn't work. She'd been talking to someone out the window, probably gossiping about some other lady, but the moment she saw me, she bounded up to me, completely forgetting the conversation. "Colt! Have you seen your face!? It's covered in dirt! And the clothes you are wearing are simply unacceptable! Trust you to get ready in such a way!" she said, smacking my arm gently. I was about to tell her that I wasn't going to go to Reapings like this, but she didn't give me a chance. She yelled for my sister Ava, who appeared out of her own room in a beautiful flowing white gown.

"Yes, Mom?" she asked. Mother smiled at the mere sight of her. "Now doesn't my little girl look beautiful? Ava, I want you to give Colt something nice to wear for today. As for you, young man," She said, turning towards me, "You will wear exactly what Ava tells you to."

"Your word is my command, Mother." I said in a formal manner, bowing down. My mother laughed again, hitting me lightly on the head. I grinned and followed Ava into my room. She opened up my cupboard and started rummaging through my clothes. She turned back just the slightest and looked me up and down.

"Really Colt. If you didn't always have smudges of dirt on that face of yours, you might actually have made a handsome young man." She smiled. I shrugged. Looks weren't as important as having fun. She pulled out something from my closet and examined it closely. It was a simple blue shirt with a brownish blazer. She looked at me and smiled. "Yeah, this'll do." she decided.

She thrust the clothes into my hands, along with some jeans, and shoved me into the washroom. I could hear her laughing behind me. Her laugh was strangely musical. I couldn't help but chuckle. I had a beautiful family. My parents were more loving than I probably deserved, my elder brother was protective and caring, and Ava was simply too kind for her own good.

I stepped out of the washroom, brushing out the creases in my shirt, my face now clean and washed. Ava seemed to be appeased by my appearance. "Don't you look dashing, Colt." She smirked. "Zippora won't be able to take her eyes off of you, will she?"

I could feel my cheeks redden. I twirled Ava around and pushed her gently towards the door. "Yeah, alright, whatever. We need to go, or Mom's gonna have a fit." I said hurriedly. Ava simply laughed, throwing her head back. Once out in the hallway, I stopped pushing her.

As we entered the living room, I found pleasure in the fact the Mother had made a peanut butter sandwich for me. I grabbed the food and stuffed it into my mouth. Ava chuckled. "Gee Colt. You're eating like there's no tomorrow." She said. I shrugged. "Considering the fact that it's reaping Day today, there might just not be." Ava shot me a look, but I just winked at her.

Shaking her head, my mother opened the door to the house. Everett and my father were already standing outside, talking in serious tones. They stopped their conversation once we came out.

"Look at that would you?" My father said to Mother. "Our little kids all grown up."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Really, Dad? That's seriously the most cliché line you could've thought of." I said, clapping his back. I stood as tall as him, which was pretty tall for my age. I'd gotten my brown hair and brown eyes from him, though his hair was uniformly one color, while mine had a few spots of light brown. Also, his eyes held a wise look in them. My eyes, on the other hand (As Kaleb and Zippora would say) told anyone who looked at me that I wasn't to be trusted around matched or sharp objects.

Father responded by laughing, but I could hear the tinge of worry in his voice. "Let's go then, shall we?" Everett said, already having started walking ahead. The rest of my family members joined him. I walked a step behind them. My palms were suddenly clammy. I tried to convince myself that nothing bad would happen today, but there was a feeling in my chest I couldn't quite deny.

 **Nova Pines' POV:**

"Nova!" I heard my eldest brother Jace yell out. I fell into guffaws of laughter; my prank had worked perfectly. Ace appeared in the doorway to my room, completely drenched in water. He did not look happy at all.

"Fifth time Ace! Fifth time I've pulled that trick, and you always fall for it!" I told him. He glared at me. "Would you ever stop with this nonsense you do? It's Reaping day today. Start getting reading for it!" he said, brushing the water out of his black hair.

"Give it up Ace. You know she'll never change." I heard another voice. My second eldest brother, Luka appeared behind Ace and handed him a towel. He winked at me and rubbed out the water in Ace's hair. I laughed again. "Hear that Ace? Luka's right!" I yelled.

I ran up to him and gave him a hug. I looked up at Ace and stuck out my tongue. Despite the previous situation, Ace cracked a smile and joined our embrace. I was squished between my two brothers, but I liked it.

"Alright Nova. Start getting ready for Reapings. The Square is pretty far from here, and it'll take us a while to reach. Besides, Mom'll be here any moment, and then you know we'll have to rush." Ace said, patting my shoulder. My expression hardened.

"Oh yeah, Mom had to work through the night again, didn't she? We barely even get to see her anymore. And none of this would have happened if it wasn't for HIM!" I yelled, my voice rising in fury.

"Nova calm down." Luka said, putting an arm around me. My mother wasn't there for me on Reaping day; how could it be any worse? Other kids had parents ooh-ing and ahh-ing over them, telling them it wouldn't be them to get chosen. My mother would've done the same, except for the fact that she was barely around.

She worked day and night to keep the food on the table. Ace worked through the day as well, but he would always come back at night, so that Luka and I would have company. It wasn't that Ace and my mother didn't work hard; it was simply that their jobs weren't enough to pay for the house money. My mother had a job at the slaughter house. She was the segregator of meat, but often they kept her overnight to look after the packaging as well. Ace worked at the local market, looking after a small meat shop owned by some wealthy guy whose name I hadn't bothered to learn.

We probably would have led better lives if it hadn't been for the nut of a father that I had. The creep was in jail since the past six years, convicted for attempted arson. He would have been shot on sight, but the person whose house he tried to burn down wasn't all that important, so they just convicted him. With the income stopped, Mom and Ace had to scrounge for jobs, grabbing the first ones that came their way.

"You know Mom would be here if she could. Now, don't you think she wants to see her little girl looking pretty for today?" Luka bent down so that he looked me in the eye. We shared the same big green eyes and curly brown hair, though his was choppy and short while mine went down to my waist. I'd gotten my dimpled cheeks from my father, so I hated it.

"Luka's right. Get ready, and I'll make some salad for ya, okay?" Ace offered. I nodded curtly at both of them and stepped into my room. Before shutting the door, I could see the two of them exchange worried glances. I closed the door and sighed loudly.

Of course they'd be worried. Luka was safe from the games; he was nineteen. Ace had surpassed the reaping age years ago, he was twenty-three at the moment. As for me, this was just my second year at the Reapings. I'd had to take out tessarae for my family, though Ace and Luka hadn't wanted it. My name was in the bowl fifteen times, but my chances of being Reaped weren't all that high.

I swung on a red skirt and black blouse. I didn't bother looking into the mirror as I brushed my hair back. I wasn't all that tall, or big, but I was in pretty good shape from doing odd jobs here and there for extra income. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Games or the Capitol, but I wanted to look nice for Reaping day. Not for the cameras, not for Panem. But for my mother. This was one day when she would get a holiday, and I wanted to look good just for her.

I stepped out and held out my skirt, doing a tiny courtesy for Ace and Luka, who both laughed and pulled my cheeks. "Yech!" I said, backing away. This sent another round of laughter up from my brothers.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and a smile broke through my face. "Mom!" I exclaimed, running to open the door. I tripped over my skirt, but Luka was there to hold me up. I ignored his warning and threw open the door to see my mother standing there, looking tired but happy. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug.

"Would you look at that?" She said, pulling me away. "You look beautiful Nova." She ruffled my hair, then set it back in place. I could see the bags under her eyes from the countless nights she hadn't slept. Another wave of anger ran through me, and I cursed my father for doing this.

"We should set off now. The Square's pretty far, and I don't want to be late for the Reapings. Ace, Luka, you guys ready?" Mom called out. Both of them nodded and Ace gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry kiddo. Looks like we'll have to skip that salad."

I shrugged. "We didn't have the ingredients for it anyway." I said. It was true. The food in the house was meager. Ace didn't reply, simply stepped out of the house after Luka and locked the door behind him. Not many families here in Ten were in a bad state, in fact ours was probably one of the very few. It didn't help that I kept getting into trouble with the owner of the shop Ace looked after. I simply couldn't stand the guy; my blood boiled at the mere sight of him.

It took a while, but eventually we reached the Reaping Square. We'd reached just in time, for everyone was already lined up and ready. I hurriedly bid goodbye to my family and joined the thirteen-year-old girl's section.

"Welcome one and all!" Our escort exclaimed as he walked up to the mike. I hid a smile. One thing I liked about the Games was our Escort. Erythros wasn't too cheerful, nor too gloomy. He tried to calm the nervous tributes down, and cheered on the confident ones. He didn't look all that strange except for his arms, which were dyed red. He was otherwise normal-looking, and quite young.

"Let's see who our tributes this year'll be, shall we?" he said, walking towards the boy's bowl. He picked out a name and called out "Colt Marshall!"

I heard a loud gasp from the eighteen-year-old girl's section, which confused me a little. A tall, good-looking boy walked out from the seventeen-year-old section, looking more shocked than anything. He didn't even try hiding his shock. He walked up to the stage and shook Erythos' hand, a somewhat normal expression coming over his features. He was thin, but athletic. _He might make it far_ , I thought.

"Uh, yeah, so I'm Colt, and hopefully this year, Ten will have a victor." He said. He smirked at the audience, and I had to appreciate his way of handling the crisis. Erythros clapped his back and walked over to the girl's bowl. He slowly rummaged through the names and brought out a pearl white paper. He opened it and read the name.

"Nova Pines!"

I could feel myself freeze. My eyes went wide. This couldn't be happening. I had been reaped for the Games?

"Nova Pines?" Erythros called out again. In a desperate attempt, I tried to run. There was no way in hell by which I'd fall prey to these blood-thirsty idiots. I pushed through the crowd and broke free. However, I'd barely gotten a meter or so, when strong hands wrapped around me. I turned to see the masked faces of Peacekeepers. I glared right at the black shiny surface, hoping my eyes met theirs.

Letting loose a defiant yell, I kicked them in the thigh (that's about as far as I could reach) and punched their gut. He grunted and let go of me, but his hands were quickly replaced by other ones. At least three Peacekeepers caught hold of me, and started dragging me towards the stage. I fought tooth and nail, clawing and struggling.

"Nova!" I heard Luka's voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him rush out of the crowd, running towards me. He was kept back by Peacekeepers.

Despite my efforts of escaping, I was dragged onto the stage. I could see my District partner looking at me with wide eyes. The Peacekeepers tossed me forward and I stumbled to a stop beside Colt Marshall. Now not bound by the Peacekeepers, I saw my opportunity. I made a dash for the edge, but was stopped once again. I tried to turn back, but could feel someone's face beside mine. I screamed at them, but the person was clearly stronger than me.

"Just stop. Don't say anything, just shut up and listen carefully." I could hear Colt's voice. I was slightly confused as to why he'd be the one stopping me, but he didn't give me a chance to say anything. "Your brother, I'm assuming that's your brother, is out in the open, and I can see the Peacekeepers pointing the gun to his head. I would not suggest creating a ruckus. Just keep calm and let me handle this." He said. His voice was low enough that only I could hear.

I stopped. I wouldn't let anyone hurt Luka, and most definitely not as a result of my actions. I straightened up and shot Colt a look to tell him I understood. I tried not to look at the crowd, which was as silent as a creek flowing in the dark forests at night. We stood on either side of Erythros, who seemed a little shocked by the flow of events. Colt took over.

"Dang, do I really look that bad? I was hoping no one would run in terror. Lady, you just dashed my hopes." He said, laughing good-naturedly. I put on a smile and joined in. Slowly I could see the Peacekeeper retract the gun from Luka's head.

Colt and I shook hands, and were shoved into the Justice building before Erythros could address the crowd again. I was roughly put into the waiting room, and the door was shut behind me. It seemed like mere moments had passed before the door opened up again, and Luka rushed in.

I threw my arms around him. I refused to cry for the Capitol. He rubbed my hair and pulled my face up. "Listen to me Nova. We don't have time at all. They didn't let all of us come in. they only allowed one. And they've only given me a few minutes." He explained. I did as he said and shut my mouth. I couldn't see my mother and Ace for the last time due to my actions. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

"You're tough Nova. You're accustomed to hardship. That's an advantage. Please Nova, just please try. I just want you to try and come back. You'll do that won't you?" he said, tears streaking his face. I nodded. I knew if I tried to say anything, I'd choke up and probably burst into tears. He pulled me into his embrace again, just as the door burst open. A peacekeeper rushed in and yanked Luka away from me. The other pushed me back as the dragged him out. I sat down hard.

This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

 **Colt Marshall's POV:**

"I can't believe this! Six papers out of hundreds! How!?" Everett was losing it. Mother had her arm around my shoulder, crying softly. Ava on the other hand, was sobbing uncontrollably. My father looked grim, but was clearly trying to control his emotions for my sake. I let out a weak laugh.

"Wow, one would think you'd be giving me advice on how to survive." I said in a pathetic attempt at a joke. Everett turned around sharply and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me away from Mother. "Listen to me Colt. You're good with knives. You've got the confidence too. Just get into some alliance and keep trying. You can do this. I know you can." He said, his eyes red from the tears he wasn't shedding. I managed a nod.

"Yeah, 'cept I throw knives at cardboard targets, not human hearts." I said. "I DON'T CARE!" Everett yelled. "You can do this Colt." He repeated.

The door flew open. "Time's up." A Peacekeeper said. My father pulled my entire family into a hug. Ava sobbed into my shoulder, and it was only after a yell from the Peacekeeper that they reluctantly left. Just before he disappeared out the door, I could see Everett give in as the tears ran down his face.I wondered for a moment if this was the last time I'd be seeing them.

The next people to visit me were Kaleb and Zippora. They didn't say anything, simply yanked me into a group hug. Kaleb looked a lot like Everett, his eyes red, but refused to cry. Zippora on the other hand, had an expression so hard, one could have easily mistaken it for stone. "You're coming back. You better bloody be coming back." She told me, her eyes boring into my own. I smirked. "That almost sounds like a threat." I said.

"That District partner girl seems feisty. Maybe you can ally with her. You have the distance advantage, you beat me every time with your knives. Maybe-" Kaleb started, but I cut him off.

"Kaleb, relax would ya? Say some cheesy goodbye or something. Enough with the tough-guy thing." I said. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, as Kaleb let out a laugh. "Mate, I'd be saying goodbye if I thought you were gonna die." He replied curtly, his voice constricted.

Zippora turned my face to hers once more. "It is a threat Colt. You better come back to us. Or I don't know what I'll do." she said. She hugged me once more before the Peacekeeper came in. Kaleb too pulled me into a bear hug, and just as they were going out, he turned and flashed me an encouraging smile.

I sighed, as the door shut. I needed to wait for the people to come get me again. I felt slightly happy that I'd stopped that girl, Nova, from running and getting her own brother killed, but as soon as my mind wrapped around my current situation, I could feel the goosebumps creeping over my arms. I was to go into an arena and murder other kids in cold blood. I put my head in my hands, trying to keep my hands from shaking. I fingered my locket, on which the first coin I'd ever earned was strung.

I would come back to my family. I would come back to my friends. I just needed to make sure it would be in one piece, and not in a wooden box.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Wow, that was probably the biggest chapter I've written till now. I needed to add that bit about Nova, and I hope it wasn't too dragging! I really love all these tributes, and I would like to thank Josephm611 and Wincestcher for these amazing tributes! I hope I was able to do justice to them! :)**

 **Also, one thing I noticed in the reviews was that almost everyone asked me the reason for no one volunteering for Anna in the last chapter. I assure all of y'all, it wasn't arbitrary. It has a reason, but it'll be revealed later on. Thank you all once again for all these amazing reviews! 66 OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!**

 **Right. Reply time! :D**

 **To lifelong potterhead: Thanks so much! As for Anna, I'm glad you like her! I can't wait for the Games either! I sure hope I'm able to write it well, I wouldn't want to be doing injustice to all these wonderful tributes.**

 **To xQueen-of-Applesx: I'm so happy that you liked them both! I like Anna too. More is revealed as the story progresses. I hope you like it! :)**

 **To chasing-wonderland: Thank you so much! I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: Oh, it wasn't rude! If I haven't said this before, criticism is perfectly welcome, even appreciated! I understand your thoughts about the tributes, and I'll try my best to write them as best as I can, and also not to make them mainstream. Thank you so much for the offer! :)**

 **To MidnightRaven323: I'm glad you like her! I can't really say anything about anyone right now, I'll have to see when the games start, but I'll try not to make her story mainstream. As for Kai, well, I do have a backstory for him, but like Anna's, it'll be revealed bit by bit. Thanks for the review! :)**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: I'm glad you like him, I like him too! Thanks for the review, and I hope my answer to your question was sufficient! :)**

 **To AgentWriter: Thank you so much! It makes me so happy, seeing such nice reviews! It really motivates me! I'm so glad I was able to do Kyle well, he really is a great character! Hope you lked this chapter!**

 **To Reader Castellan: I KNOW RIGHT!? I have all you amazing people to thank! I'm really happy the reapings aren't boring! I wanted to try something different by having them meet. Hope the answer was enough for the moment, and also that the chapter was good! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: I'm so glad I was able to do justice to her! She is amazing! I like both the tributes too! I hope I wrote this chapter well as well (haha well as well) :)**

 **To deny: Thanks! I like both of them and was happy to know you do too! :)**

 **To Guest: Um, I'm really sorry, but I already have all my tributes. Your character are amazing, and I truly apologize and feel very bad, but I cannot help it. Hope you still like my story, and once again, I really apologize. :(**

 **To maliceismyname: He was, wasn't he? Your suggestion was amazing! Hope you like this chapter! :)**

 **To Embers to Ashes: I'm glad you liked them! Hope you enjoyed! :)**

 **See y'all next time! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Reapings:**

 **District Two:**

 **Siobhan O'Brian's POV:**

I narrowed my eyes, my vision focused on the centre of the target. I let the javelin fly, and it pierced the target at its centre. I smirked at the trainer, who nodded thoughtfully.

"Wow, Siobhan. Looks like you take after your brother in this stuff." He said.

"Hey, I throw a mean javelin too." Janine said. I turned to her and gave her the most innocent looking smile I could come up with. "Yes, you do. And that's why I was picked for this year's volunteer, right?" I told her sweetly, sarcasm dripping from my words. Her nostrils flared, and I just laughed, flipping my hair back.

"As for you, even if you didn't take me for volunteer, I would've personally gutted the girl you did, so that I volunteered this year." I told the trainer, who seemed slightly shocked by my words. "No one here deserves this more than me, and you know that."

His eyes travelled to the second javelin in my hand and he nodded. "Looks like Law's gonna have a strong partner, eh?" Janine said, venomously. I nodded, giving her another smirk. "Why, you jealous?" I asked. Janine went red in the face and turned on her heels, stomping out.

"Law is a strong competitor Siobhan. You want to think again before this?" The trainer asked me. I glared at him. "Are you undermining my strength?" I sneered, gripping the javelin tighter. His eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get ready for the reapings. Panem might as well see a pretty Siobhan volunteer." I said curtly, and headed out. I threw aside the Javelin, not bothering myself enough to make sure it fell in it's correct place. On my way out, I kicked aside a few weapons; I didn't want to spend any energy picking them up.

I caught a glimpse of my District partner as I walked out the door. He was in the other section of the training room, but he was too hard to miss. Lawson, or better known as "The Law", was not only huge, but also intimidating. I hadn't conversed much with him, but then again, no one in District Two did. He certainly knew how to swing a sword. He'd been unanimously chosen for this year's volunteer, and obviously, I had occupied the female tribute. I smiled to myself as I closed the door behind me. This year's games would be interesting.

Last year was a little hard on our family. My elder brother Stefan had volunteered, and he'd made it far. But it was in the final bloody battle, that the boy from Five, Dane Evans, had run him through with his sword. Every time Dane's face flashed in front of my eyes, I could feel my blood boil. Stefan was dead because of him.

But I wasn't going to end up the same way. After Stefan's death, I had put my entire concentration into training. Not that I hadn't before, but after it, I had stopped all other activities. My schedule was limited to training, school, training and sleep. Nothing else.

I was never supposed to have volunteered. Stefan was supposed to win, and we would live lavish lives in the victor's village. But apparently fate decided to spoil our plans. Stefan almost made it back home. But it was for that Dane boy that I had lost him. Now, I was going to volunteer. I didn't just want to win the games. My main target was the boy from five. I was going to kill the male tribute from five, no matter what happened.

Without realizing it, I had reached the large door of my house. I rang the bell and waited for someone to open the door. It was opened by my brother-in-law Vincent Maxwell.

"Well, Siobhan! Looks like someone's eager for the Reapings!" he said, a smile breaking through his handsome face. I smiled. "Well, yeah. Panem should see a pretty volunteer, shouldn't they?" I said. "Seebee!" a squeaky voice exclaimed. I pushed Vincent aside and ran in, throwing my arms around my two-year-old niece Seraphina. I picked her up in my arms and swung her around, giggling. Her small laughs joined mine.

"All right you two!" My elder sister Levitta laughed. She took her daughter from my arms and patted my head. I blew a kiss at them and ran up to my room. I shut the door behind me and got to work on my wardrobe.

I streamed through the outfits, trying them on one after another, but somehow, none seemed to fit. Finally, I contended myself in a light purple dress that frilled out at the knees. I brushed my curly brown hair back, tying it up in a pretty bun I learnt from my mother. I put on some eye-shadow to make my crystal blue eyes stand out. Finally appeased by my appearance, I headed out the door.

"Well well well, isn't my girl looking ready for the day?" I heard my father's voice as I climbed down the stairs. "Am I correct, Carmen?" he asked. My mother pulled my cheeks lightly, laughing. "Correct, Dwight!" she said.

"Oh come on Mom! We need to go! I don't wanna be late for the Reapings! I mean like, seriously, imagine if I'm late. I'd lose my chance of volunteering!" I exclaimed, fanning my face. My parents laughed, but there was a tension in their voice. They'd gotten over Stefan's death a long time ago, but still got a little jittery every time I mentioned volunteering.

"Well, yes, but-" my mother started.

"No buts Mom! Let's go!" I urged. This earned laughs from Levitta and Vincent, and a squeal from little Seraphina. I didn't wait for my family. I threw on some flats and headed out. I could hear them shuffling out the door behind me, but I kept walking ahead. I tried my best to hide my smirk. Panem was going to have its most interesting Volunteer yet. I wouldn't end up like Stefan. I was going to win this damn thing.

 **Lawson "The Law" Dean's POV:**

I fumbled for my keys, as I tried to open the door to my house. My parents weren't home(obviously) so I always had to carry a key. The only problem was, I had a knack for losing the little thing. I let out a frustrated growl and jumped up and down. I heard a clinking sound coming from my left back-pocket, and grinned. So there it was.

I hurriedly opened to the door and shut it behind me. I drew in a breath, smelling the fragrant air of our house. I threw my bag aside. One of the servants who came later would clean that up. I was already running slightly late for the Reapings, having trained extra long and hard today.

It wasn't really a question. There really wasn't one other person in thetraining centre who could match my skills. The thing was, I not only trained there, but also received a fair amount of training from my father at home. My father, you see, was the Head peacekeeper of District Two. He knew some serious maiming methods.

I flew to my room and kicked off my shoes. I ran to the washroom and opened the tap. Once I was washed up and smelled like a human, not something a skunk pooped out, I stepped out, wrapped in a towel. I rummaged through the closet and came up with a black tuxedo with white dress pants. I dried my golden-blond hair and put on a tie of the same color. My mother had ordered me to wear this tie. She said it 'complemented my hair', whatever that meant. I combed my hair with a right parting, making sure it looked neat. In the mirror, my string reflection stared back at me.

I was rather tall, standing at six feet two. I had a fairly squarish face with a strong jawline. My hair, which usually fell into my eyes, today was slicked back properly. I was slightly tanned from all my indoors practice, and my broad shoulders just added to my intimidating appearance. I smiled. I may not have been the most attractive of boys, but I certainly was big and muscular enough to catch the attention of sponsors.

That, coupled with the fact that these Games were mine to own, I would have a string of sponsors. I wasn't just going into the games to win them. I was going in to earn the fame which I rightly deserved. The Hunger Games were a once in a lifetime opportunity for people to make their name famous in the country. The Capitol were a bunch of geniuses for thinking up of this. Even though last year's Victor had killed the boy from my district, I respected him for the way he'd ripped that other boy apart. It took some serious ruthlessness to do that.

Dane Evans had become fairly well-known for that little incident, but soon, his name would be washed out of people's minds. They would now know the name of Lawson Dean. My parents lived their lives by one policy and one policy only. "Always be the best of the best."

My mother was the mayor of District two, my father the Head Peacekeeper. They occupied the best positions possible in a district. I, their son, would obviously win the Hunger Games. It ran in my blood to rise above all others. I'd been taught survival skills since the age of ten by them, and soon thereafter, had started training. I didn't just want to follow their motto, I wanted to establish it in the entire country. No one broke The Law.

I didn't wait for my parents to come, because they couldn't. My father had to patrol the Square, and my mother would be seated at the podium. I headed out the door, and shut it. I didn't bother locking it. No one would dare enter our house.

I met my friends outside, near the entrance of the Victor's village. I looked at the houses dreamily. Soon, one of them would be occupied by me.

"Looking good there Law!" I heard Kenneth's voice. He and Damien ran up to me, looking ready for the reapings. I smirked. I was at least two inches taller than them, but they were the only other people n the district who were fit to be my friends. They weren't like the others, several leagues below me in abilities. Damien and Kenneth were the only people who stood more than five seconds with me in the training ring. Taron, our fourth friend, was a wiry yet extremely sharp boy, who only tagged along because we tolerated his jokes. Not just that, it was fun to have someone else to pick on.

It didn't take us too long to reach the Square. Everyone had assembled, and the three of us found our spots in the eighteen-year-old boy's section. Taron, the loser he was, would come along 'with his family'. I eyed the stage, and caught my mother's gaze. She looked at me proudly. I grinned back.

I droned out the speech our escort Cinder gave. She was too peppy, too cheerful. I hated her, but I didn't really care about her. I just wanted her to hurry up with the whole calling the names thing.

"And the male tribute is Jack-"

"I volunteer!" I cut her off. I pushed through the crowd and broke into the open. My mother laughed, obviously proud of the way I had declared myself. I walked up to the stage and cast a long look towards my father, who also wore a proud expression on his face. I felt more than happy; I felt elated. Ecstatic. My dream was coming true. I was finally in the Hunger Games. I would live up to my parents' expectation, and I would show all of Panem who Lawson Dean was.

"Ah, and may I ask the name, young man?" Cinder asked me. "Lawson Dean. But you can call me The Law. And remember. _No_ _one_ breaks the Law." I addressed the crowd more than her. A round of applause greeted me, and I smiled and took a bow. Cinder, obviously satisfied with the reaction, skipped over to the girl's bowl.

"Ivy Stales!"

"I volunteer!"

An extremely pretty girl walked out from the seventeen-year old section. Her dress flared out behind her. She walked with a spring in her step. She climbed up beside me and flashed me a smile. I grinned back. "The name's Siobhan O'Brian, and you'll be seeing me on the victory tour!" She called out before Cinder could ask her. Cinder seemed a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say her lines, but the two of us completely ignored her. It wasn't as if we needed some overly weird escort telling us what to do. We had this in the palm of our hands. At least, I did. And I could tell by the confident look on my District partner's face that she did too. The two of us shook hands, and headed inside the Justice building.

My parents couldn't come to meet me, but they sent me my token through the hands of Kenneth and Damien. It was a locket, with a piece of paper inside, on which the words "No one breaks The Law" were written in beautiful cursive.

"So, you ready with the strategy?" Damien asked. I laughed. "Of course! Kill everyone and kick some butt. Do I need a better strategy?" I answered.

"You should be the leader of the career pack. Don't let anyone else take that, okay?" Kenneth offered. I clapped his back. "Duh, I mean, who else can be their leader?"

"Hey, where's Taron?" I asked. Damien and Kenneth exchanged worried glances. "He said he didn't want to come." They said meekly.

I could feel my anger flare up. That little no good wart-face. I was going to make sure I wrung his thin little neck when I came back. I glared at Kenneth and Damien, who retreated a little. "Hey, Law, You'll come back and beat the crap out of him!" Kenneth said.

"Yeah. Just make sure you warn him." I told them.

"Time's up." A Peacekeeper said. Kenneth and Damien gave me man-hugs, and went out. After their exit, I sat down and thought about the Games. Our mentors, Alex and Shaunya Shane were famous for their violent ways of wining the games. Alex had killed ten tributes, driving a sword through each and every one of their chests. Shaunya had surpassed even her brother, killing twelve. She'd not been in the career alliance, and hunted down others. She'd behead them, and steal their supplies. Some even said she wasn't all that correct in the attic.

My thoughts travelled to my District partner, Siobhan. Obviously she was a vain girl, possibly even naïve. However, there was a fire in her eyes. I remembered her brother from last year's games; he'd gone far, only to be killed by Dane from Five. Siobhan had trained day and night after that, almost as much as me. She wasn't just skilled with weapons, she was famous for her craftiness with poisons. The girl knew at least a hundred different poisons. She was a threat, no doubt, but she would join the career alliance. Of course, it didn't matter in the end, because I would be the one walking out of the arena. Alive.

After all, no one could break The Law.

 **Siobhan O'Brian's POV:**

The door flew open and my family rushed in. My mother hugged me tight. "Oh Siobhan, your father and I are so proud! I know you'll win!" she exclaimed. I hugged her back, but when I felt tears wetting my shoulder, I pulled away. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Mom, why in the world are you crying?" I asked. She wiped her tears away and gave me a worried look. "It's just…" She began, but was unable to continue. My father took up for her. "We don't want to lose you like we did Stefan."

I nodded, understanding their worry. "Look Dad. I know Stefan's death was hard for you guys to take, but don't you worry. I won't end up like him. I'm going to come back to you, just wait and see." I told my parents. They smiled at me and gave me another hug.

"Just be careful in there, would you? It wouldn't do for you to accidentally jump off a cliff and die." Vince put in. I laughed. "Yes Vince. I'll take care not to accidentally fall to my death." I answered sarcastically. He laughed and gave me a hug, along with Levitta. They pulled away quickly, but Levitta held my face up to hers.

"I know you're gonna win Siobhan. I believe in my little sister." She said. I didn't know how to respond to that, so I simply nodded. Little Seraphina hugged my leg, nestling her head against my calf. I picked her up and kissed her nose. "You'll be seeing Siobhan after a while, okay? Don't cause too much mischief!" I said jokingly.

"Alright, time's up." I heard the gruff voice of a Peacekeeper. I scowled at him, but his face was hidden by that insect-like black mask. My family was drawn into a final embrace by my father, before they headed out, leaving me alone.

As I waited to be escorted out of the Justice building, I cleared my mind of all thoughts. I thought about only one thing.

These Hunger Games were mine to win.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: So? How was this one? This was a little shorter than the previous, 'cause I thought I'd made the previous too long. Please tell me what you thought of it! I truly love these tributes and Hope I was able to write them well! Thanks to AgentWriter and xQueen-of-Applesx for these amazing tributes.**

 **On a side note, I noticed that the number of favourites or follows for this fic wasn't increasing. I'm not complaining or anything, like OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I CROSSED SEVENTY-FIVE REVIEWS LIKE HELL YEAH! But I would love it if more people favorited or followed the story too! Any of the three make me happy beyond words!**

 **Also, VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT AN PLEASE READ IMPERATIVE UBUBEXIWHXN(UWNXWUDBUWXWBXYB!**

 **Sorry, needed the attention. So, I just needed to ask all of you, the ones who have submitted a tribute to send me a PM concerning your tributes' preferred Training score. I'm so sorry I forgot to ask that in the form, and I hope this isn't of any inconvenience, but it really is important to me. Please get back to me on this! :)**

 **Right then. Reply time!**

 **To lifelong potterhead: OMG I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you so much for the compliment and review! Hope this chapter was good!**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: She is, isn't she? And Colt wasn't trained. Throwing knives is a sport in Ten, as the Creator suggested (I liked the idea too) So yep! Thanks for the compliment!**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: Wow, Thank you so much! Im glad you liked the chapter! And I respect your choice, I like her too. I love both of them, actually. Gah, I love each and every one of the tributes I've received. Hope you liked this chapter! :)**

 **To Wincestcher: I'm so happy I was able to portray Nova correctly! She really is an amazing character! I'm also happy that you liked the way Colt saved Luka's life, I loved that part myself. Hope this one's good too! :)**

 **To Josephm611: OMG thank you! I love Colt's character and it gave me immense pleasure to know I'd written him well. I'm so glad you liked Nova too! I agree, all stone-faced reapings is a bit of a put-offer (That isn't a word, is it? :|) But thank you for the Review! :)**

 **To AgentWriter: I suppose it is too early. I was not really going in any order but oh well, seems like it turned out to have an order haha! Hope you liked the chappie!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Thank you for that! I love the characters too. Nova is** _ **epic**_ **and Colt, like you said is Boss. As for the alliance, Well, that's sort of a suspense now, isn't it? ;)**

 **To Reader Castellan: I'm glad I was able to bring out the tension. I loved the tributes and it makes me happy to learn that you did too! Hope you enjoyed this one! :)**

 **To deny: I felt bad for her too :'( Hope you like this chapter!**

 **To Sally the Lioness: It was, right? I felt really bad for the tributes! Hope this chapter was good too! :)**

 **To maliceismyname: Hmm, I suppose my chapters did have a pattern. I liked Nova's reaction too, because I like a little diversity in reactions, and the creator provided me with perfect material. I liked the way Colt saved Luka's life too. Hope the chapter was good! :)**

 **See ya later all of you awesome people who continue to make me so happy!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Reapings:**

 **District Nine:**

 **Avena Larson's POV:**

I punched the squirming boy straight across his jaw. He thrashed his arms and managed to connect with my mouth. I could feel the coppery taste of blood fill my mouth, and hardened my resolve. I was not losing to a squirt like him. I picked him of the ground and smashed him down, bringing my elbow down onto his chest at the same time.

The air went out of him in a huff and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He passed out with a nauseating _konk_ as his head hit the tarmac.

"Alright! I think we have our winner!" The referee called out. He was supposed to be the best ref in our area, but he really was just a teenage boy who decided to wear extremely baggy clothes every day. His greased hair was repulsive and skinny arms made it clear that he wouldn't stand against me for more than two seconds.

Nevertheless, I stood up and let him take my hand, raising it in a sign of my victory. I didn't wait for him to announce it.

"YEAH BABY! Who's got the guts to challenge me NEXT!?" I yelled, wiping off the blood trickling down my chin with my free hand. I flicked it to the ground and watched the red liquid splatter. I sneered at the crowd and challenged them again.

"Yes alright Avena, I think that's enough for the day." I heard a calm but firm voice behind me. I turned to find Asher Token smiling at me. Coster was going around the crowd, holding out the basket in which they all dropped coins. The clinking as metal hit metal was music to my ears.

Bruno pushed aside the ref and addressed the audience in the booming voice he had. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is Avena Larson, the most kick-butt street fighter District nine has ever known!" He flashed me a grin and I simply laughed. He turned his grin to the audience and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. I could hear a few girls sigh, but I just rolled my eyes. One day or another, the people would get bored of his tactics.

"Come on Avena. You've got to get ready for the Reapings. We can't very well tell the Peacekeepers that we were late because you'd been street-fighting, now can we?" Asher put an arm on my shoulder. He noticed the thin trail of blood which ran out of the corner of my mouth and his expression turned concerned. He took out a handkerchief and wiped it off.

"Thanks Asher, but I couldn't care less what the Peacekeepers thought." I snapped, snatching the handkerchief away and dabbing it on the blood. Asher sighed. "Avena, I know you're still mad about Rycroft, but the Peacekeepers have the authority around here. We pacify them or we die. I'll go with the former, if it's all the same to you." He said with a wink.

"Whatever." I said. I shrugged off his hand and started walking towards the half-broken and run-down thing we had the audacity to call a house. The thing barely had a door, and was in a condition much worse than many other houses here at Nine. However, we'd gotten used to it. For a 'family' of four, my earnings from the street fights were barely enough. We managed to fill out stomachs, but didn't have surplus for a better house.

It wasn't a straw hat or anything. Made of bricks, the thing was any day better the torture centre I used to live in. It wasn't a dream home, but it protected our heads; that's pretty much all I could've asked for. Asher opened the door and led me in. I could hear Coster and Bruno running up to us from behind. The boys went into their respective rooms, as I entered mine.

I shut the door behind me and let out a deep sigh. My street fighting career had begun when I was fairly young, maybe thirteen give or take, but over the years, I had improved so much that my income was more than all the other boys (which wasn't all that much).

One too many times I had been asked how I ended up with twenty-six year old boys. I had avoided answering each and every question about my family. It wasn't something I liked to advertise.

The thing was, my mother had been the worst curse on my life. She considered it the other way round, of course. I'd never known my father; I'd been born to a family of one. This wasn't a very rare thing in Nine, in fact, it wasn't rare all over Panem. My creep of a father probably took off on my mother. Regular people in my situation would have blamed and hated their father. I, on the other hand, understood his decision.

My mother, you see, was into witchcraft. Every day she would draw the curtains and take efforts to make the house pitch black. She'd mumble stuff and wave her hands around. I'd be terrified. At five years, I didn't know what all this was that my mother was doing, and it freaked me out worse than anything else.

Every day I would go to sleep with my mother putting a necklace of bones around me. She would hit me and slap every bit of exposed flesh, declaring that as a sacrifice. Finally when one day she tried to 'sacrifice' my left foot, it put me over the edge. I'd run to the wheat fields and cried for hours on end.

And that had been where I'd met the boys. They'd taken me under their wing, promising me food as long as I cut my fair share of wheat. I grasped the only way of escaping my mother. I stayed with them.

At that time, there had been four. Asher, the oldest, Rycroft, Bruno and Coster, the youngest. Working in the fields with them had given me a fair amount of strength, and they'd had the good brains to put it to use. They'd pitch me into fights with other runaway children, and thus, my career as a street fighter emerged. I made a lot of money by winning these fights, and in a world like ours, money matters most.

It was one fateful day that Rycroft had gotten caught stealing something from the market. I'd had to see him being shot in the head in front of my eyes. Ever since that day, I'd loathed the Peacekeepers for stealing part of my family away from me.

Shaking myself away from my reverie of memories, I laid out the cleanest dress I had. Being mostly into fights, I didn't own that many dresses, and the ones I did had been rotting at the back of my cupboard for at least a year. I would wear the one dress I always wore for reaping Day. A clean, simple white frock with a frilled neckline. I slipped it on and brushed my wild hair back. My blond hair way wavy and long, something that bothered me a lot. However, I simply couldn't make myself have enough energy to go and get it cut. My blue-gray eyes seemed intimidating to a few, but that only helped scare my opponents in the fights.

I smirked, satisfied with my appearance. I had scars all over my body from various merciless opponents, but there was nothing too spectacular. I was just about to head out the door when I felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach.

Today was reaping day. The thought left me jittery in the slightest. I had taken out many tessarae, and my name was in their twenty-six times. However, in a populated district like Nine, twenty-six wasn't that big an amount.

Was it?

 **Hartley Butterwell's POV:**

I woke up groggily, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes. I groaned, remembering the occasion. Reaping Day was never the most cheerful day of the year. Then again, when every day is like a dull black cloud, one doesn't really have much to compare to.

I could hear my mother yelling at me from downstairs. "COMING!" I yelled back. I was honestly in no mood to listen to her cackling voice. I would wake almost every day to this sort of a morning, but today, I was in an extra foul mood.

I slunked over to the washroom and splashed some water onto my sleepy face. I looked in the mirror and sighed. So today two people from our district would be chosen to go die. I shrugged lightly, answering my thoughts. As long as it wasn't me, I didn't really care.

I threw on some clothes and found myself heading down the stairs of our house. Every step made me want to stop my feet, to keep the distance between my mother and I as much as I could, but resisting all emotions, I walked into the kitchen to get myself a snack. If I was to go for the Reapings, I might as well have done so on a full stomach.

"Hartley! Would you stop that!? You know the morning routine is to sort the grain harvested last night and then have food. I've explained it a million times, but this boy just doesn't listen!" My mother Eve, yelled. I glared at her.

"Let me make something very clear to you, _mother_." I put as much contempt into the last word as I could. "Today is Reaping Day, and I'll do as I wish. I don't care one bit what you say."

She looked genuinely taken aback by my statement, but I felt no guilt. Her shock quickly turned to anger and she walked up to me, giving me a slap across my face. "Don't you dare talk to me like that ever again, do you understand?" She growled.

I didn't take my eyes off her, but didn't retort either. I knew arguing with her was in vain; talking to a wall would give more output. "I'm sorry, _mother_." I said, once again enunciating the last word. I pushed away my plate, no longer hungry, and walked towards my room. "Hartley? What do you think you're doing? Finish your breakfast now!" my mother called after me. Ugh, I hated calling her mother. I completely ignored her and went into my room, locking the door behind me. I could hear her groaning in frustration behind me, but I couldn't care less.

"Why. Does. It. Have to be. ME!?" I cried, kicking the edge of the bed. I sat down hard, letting out a wail of anger. I hated my life. I hated just about every person in this damned world other than my best friend Rye. And who was the reason? My very own mother.

Every day I thought about her deeds, what had led me to become the person I was today. I had been merely seven. And my mother had killed my very own father, her husband.

You see, my father had been spending way to much… quality time with the mayor's wife. My mother found out about this and about a lot of the other ladies, and decided that she'd had enough. The vivd images flashed in front of my eyes even now. How she'd told me that whatever she was doing was correct. How she'd stabbed him in his sleep. How I'd been too terrified to speak. How my mother had turned into a cold-blooded murderer.

For months, people wondered how Faelon Buttterwell had died, and more importantly, where he was buried. The secret was known only to my mother and I, because we had been the ones to bury him.

I got up, sighing. These thoughts were useless. I didn't need them. Life was life, the crazy psychotic wart-face it was. I took out the suit I was to wear for today. It belonged to my father, and held a special sentimental value to me. It was pure black, and suited my dark skin pretty well. The black also brought out my dark eyes and heavily built physique. I was tall for my age, standing at six foot one. I brushed my short curly dark hair as best as I could, though I just couldn't get myself to care about it. Come to think of it though, I never really cared about anything in life these days.

I threw open the door and without a word to my mother, stormed out of the house. I didn't want to spend any time listening to her talks. I had better things to do.

Once outside the house, I made my way over to the bread store Rye and I met at. Rye's fater owned the store, which made Rye one of the better-off people at Nine, along with us. "Hartley!" I heard his voice. I turned to see him walking towards me, his blond hair wet from what I assumed was a shower. "'Sup Rye?" I said. He snorted.

"What can possibly be up in this disgusting place?" he retorted. I caught sight of a person behind him, and internally groaned. Phillip was the mayor's youngest son, and unlike his siblings, was not all that popular at school. Probably because he was fatter than an elephant, and his face could barely be seen beneath all that acne. I didn't really know what to think of the dumb, oblivious kid. He always just sort of followed Rye and I around the place.

"Come on Hartley, we needa get to the bloody Reapings." Rye said, walking ahead. He sounded a little sullen, but then again, Rye always sounded sullen. The last time I'd seen Rye smile was on my fourteenth birthday, and that too was a fleeting upturn of his lips.

The Square was milling with people. District Nine was a populated district, and most of the population was starving in their houses. I wanted to bury my fist into the ground. I hated myself for being so well-off and rich when everyone else starved. But come to think of it, I hated myself for basically everything.

I completely zoned out as our escort Bubble skimpered up the steps. She wore a blue frock which was in a spherical shape, probably symbolizing the bubble. She blabbed something about the glory and might of the capitol. I couldn't get myself to care enough to listen. A name being called out jolted me from my daze.

"Avena Larson!"

A moment passed and nothing happened. Then, as stiff as a statue, a girl stepped out of the Seventeen-year-old section. She was a year younger than me, but looked as tough as nails. She had a cut on her lower lip, and had a hard expression on her face, letting her features betray no emotions. When Bubble asked her to say something, she grabbed the mic and screamed her words into it.

"Yeah you bet I do! Remember the name Avena Larson, 'cause that's this year's victor's name." she said. She shoved the mic back into Bubble's hands, who looked frankly surprised to have such a spitfire girl. She turned towards the male's bowl and dug out a name.

"Hartley Butterwell!"

I could feel every nerve in my body turn to ice. My hands went numb, and my legs felt as though they'd turned to lead. The crowd of eighteen year olds divided themselves in front of me, almost as if to create an aisle. I couldn't move. Heck, I couldn't even _breathe_.

"Hey, move it!" a Peacekeeper shoved me from behind. He must have had enough brain in that skull of his to know I was Hartley. I overcame the shock paralyzing my body and walked towards the stage. I climbed the steps and stumbled once before coming to a stop beside Bubble. When asked if I wanted to address the audience or not, I simply stared ahead, as though I hadn't heard her. I shook Avena's hand, and the two of us were led inside the Justice building for our goodbyes.

The first to visit me was Rye, which I wasn't all that surprised about. Phillip came in seconds after him. Rye pulled me into a tight hug. "I know you can do it Hart. I know you can." He said, patting my shoulder. Phillip nodded his agreement. "Thanks Rye." I managed. I still hadn't gotten over my shock. I had been reaped? I was being sent to the games? This was more than unreal.

Rye kept trying to talk to me, but I shushed him. After that, we simply talked about the times we spent together. When the Peacekeeper came to pull them out, Rye had tears in his eyes, and left tears in mine. I wouldn't miss Phillip all that much, but I didn't want to lose a friend like Rye.

My mother walked in, and that snapped me out of my daze. "listen to me well. Try and ally with a strong person, use your build to take in a few caree-"

"I DON'T CARE!" I yelled. How could she be so cold and unfeeling even when I was about to go to my death? What kind of mother did that?

Her expression turned hard. "You will listen to me well, you understand?" she commanded. This drove me over the edge.

"No." I muttered, my fists clenched at my sides. "I won't listen to you. And the truth is, that even though I'm probably going to certain death, I don't WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE!" I screamed.

My mother looked shocked, but quickly got her stuff together. "I didn't want to come either. It's only that people might talk. Well then, Hartley. Happy Hunger Games to you." She spun on her heels and walked out, leaving me alone in a bare room.

I couldn't believe this. As if my life hadn't stunk enough before. Now I was needed to murder innocent kids. I buried my face in my hand.

I hated my life.

 **Avena Larson's POV:**

"Tyr hard will you?" Coster said, stroking my hair. He was crying, and so was I. After many attempts at trying not to cry, I had finally given in. I stayed in Coster's brotherly embrace, trying to implant every last detail of this memory into my mind. This might just have been the last time I saw them.

"Avena, you have the experience fighting. Use that. You'll get far. Make an ally or two." Bruno offered. He and Asher weren't crying like Coster, but looked awfully close to it. "I _fight_ people Bru. I don't kill them." I shot back.

"Just try. That's all we're telling you." Asher said, stepping forward. I unraveled myself from Coster and looked at Asher. He extended something towards me.

"This was Rycroft's." he said. My eyes widened as I looked at the thin bracelet in my hand. I found myself at a loss of words. I tried to give it back, but Asher shook his head. "No, keep it. It's your token. Avena…" He stepped closer and gave me a hug. Bruno and Coster joined in. I was smaller than them, but I didn't mind their warmth around me for this one last time.

"You'll make it back. What you said on the stage wasn't a façade. You can do this." Asher said, pulling away. I wiped my tears and nodded at him. "You got it." I managed.

"Time's up!" A Peacekeeper barked. He stood outside the open door, looking a bit frustrated. As the boys stepped towards the door, they cast me one last look.

"You'll make it back." Coster assured me.

Then they were gone.

~.~.~.~.~.

A/N: Hello! I know this may be a bit short, but I've decided to keep it that way. This'll be the standard lenth of chapters from now. Thank you to Santiago. Poncini20 and chasing-wonderland for the tributes!

Right. I have a few things I need to talk about.

First of all, I wanna thank you for all the wonderful reviews, 91! THANK YOU SO MUCH! But. Please understand, I dont mean to sound rude or stuck up, but this is important. I wanted to say that the amount of times you review WILL affect the outcome of your character, though it wont depend entirely on that. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT REVIEWING WILL MAKE YOUR CHARACTET VICTOR, OR NOT REVIEWING ONE CHAPTER WILL LEAD TO YOUR CHARACTER'S DEATH IN THE VERY NEXT! Its just that, I want to know what you guys think of my story. Once again, SO SORRY if this sounds rude, but I needed this out there. I love all your reviews and it gives me so much happiness, reading each and every one of them. Sorry again if this sounds rude.

Another thing I wanted to say was that I got very few bloodbaths, and thus will have to kill more. I mean, it wont be interesting to read a bloodbath where almost no one dies, right? Sorry if the tribute to die is your's!

Okay, setting all that aside, REPLY TIME! :)))

To Mystical Pine Forest: Thank you! I liked Law too, and his sayong was a stroke of genius from the creator! :)

To santiago. Poncini20: hmm, I respect your oppinion, and I liked Siobhan as well! I dont recall that being in the book, but oh well! Lets just assume they can! :)

To xQueen-of-Applesx: Thank you! I'm so glad I was able to write her well, she really is amazing! :)

To lifelong potterhead: thank you so much! I hope you liked this update too! :)

To Josephm611: Hmm, I'll make sure I dont write them clichéd. Or will try not to! I love Law's thingie too, but even I have no idea what to call it :P hope you liked the update! :)

To Reader Castellan: I'm so glad you liked it! Everyone seems to like Law's thing, eh? (You have the genius creator to thank for that). As for Siobhan and Raymond... Heehee. *mischievous look* Hope you liked the chapter and thanks for the review! :)

To maliceismyname: I lived writing them and I'm so glad you liked em too! I cant say anything about the games now, of course, but I hope I can write them well! :)

To deny: Thank you so much! I like Law's confidence abd Siobhan's fire too. As for the leader thing... heehee*mischievous grin* (I just love doing this)! I'm so glad you liked the mentors! Dwayne's score seems fairly reasonable. I cant promise to stick to it, but I will certainly keep it in mind! :)

To AgentWriter: I'm excited about writing the D1 Reapings too! I loved Law's character, (and Kai'sl) and I'm so glad I could write him well! :) Siobhan is good too, eh?

To Sally the Lioness: I'm so glad you liked it! I liked Siobhan and Law too! And I honestly love it when people ignore mentors, Dunno why :P

To Embers To Ashes: I'm so happy you liked em! Hope this update was good too! I aint really holding some order for the Reapings, Haha! XD

To Guest: Thank you! Hope you liked this chapter!

To Guest: Thank you so much! Hope this chapter was good! :)

To Wincestcher: It was clever, eh? Like I said, completely the Creator's credit! I liked both of them too! Hope this was good! :)

One more thing. A HUGE Shoutout to santiago. Poncini20 and Annabeth-TheTributeThatLoved for all their wonderful advice! It helped me a lot! :) oh yeah, and another shoutout to draphy for her story "To Be Chosen". Its an open SYOT and the Idea's really cool, so I would highly suggest reading and submitting! So yeah, y'all should g check it out and submit some tibutes. I mean, I shouldnt be the only author to get the awesome luck to write about such amazing 24 tributes right? ;)

See everyone next time! :)))


	10. Chapter 10

**Reapings:**

 **District Seven:**

 **Absalom Sawyer's POV:**

I woke up to screaming. I groaned, sandwiching my head between two pillows. When that didn't help, I sat upright on my bed and yelled in a loud clear voice. "WOULD YOU TWO SHUT IT FOR ONCE!?"

The screaming ceased, if only for mere seconds. About three full heartbeats passed before my parents; voices rang through the house once more. I let out a cry of frustration and jumped off the bed. Not only was I in a bad mood, but my parents were trying their level best to make things even worse.

I poked my head out the door of my room. "Mom, Dad, I won't say this again. I'm in a rotten mood, and I'm begging you not to aggravate it!" I pleaded. My parents spun around to face me, stopping mid-yell. My mother glared at my father. Then she looked at me with a skeptical expression on her face.

"Absalom, you do remember what today is, right?" She asked, looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes. I'd gotten used to this over the course of six long years. I sighed.

"Yes Mom. It's Reaping Day. But really, be a little considerate for your kid. It's my last reaping, and I'm trying to get a good sleep before going out there!" I exclaimed. My mother crossed her arms, frowning.

"Absalom, you've already overslept. It's only about an hour till the Reapings, and you're still in pajamas. The Square is far from our place and it'll take us at least half-an-hour to get there. And if your father keeps up his adamant thoughts of not selling that rickety piece of nonsense he has the mind to call a car, it'll take us more. So keeping all that in mind, GET READY!"

My father cast me an exasperated look as my mother turned around and stormed into the kitchen. I only laughed. My parents were wonderful and loving, but sometimes they acted so immature, it was hard to figure out who was more childish, Mom or Dad. I shut the door and head to my wardrobe. My mother may have been hotheaded when she'd said this, but that didn't make it wrong. I needed to get ready for the Reapings.

I took out a simple white shirt and some khakis. After washing up my face and smelling slightly more human, I threw on my clothes and picked up a comb. I took a deep breath. This would take effort. My brown hair was shaggy and messy, never staying down. No matter how hard I combed it, it refused to look normal. People said I took after my Dad in my messy brown hair and brown eyes. My stature, like his, was tall and well built. I wouldn't say I was extremely muscular or anything, but being over six feet tall, I _did_ look bigger than most others.

My family was an average one here in Seven. In fact, one could say we were a tad above average, being one of the families which were better off. My Dad worked the usual job of a lumberjack, and he was the head of his team. Each team took a certain area of the forests, and my Dad had unanimously been chosen as the leader. My mother also worked in the market, selling jewelry make from barks of different trees. She had a natural hand at this art, and it was incredible, what she could make from a simply brown piece of wood.

This was my last year of Reaping. Next year, I'd be freed from the worry of the Hunger games. To say I had mixed feelings was an understatement. As an eighteen-year-old, my name was in there seven times, added to the eight tessarae I took out. I had a higher chance of being Reaped this year, but it was also my last year. If I managed to get through this, I wouldn't have to worry ever again.

I threw the comb onto my bed, finally exhausted my will of combing my hair. If the damn thing wouldn't stay down, it wouldn't stay down. I couldn't do anything about it. I headed out the door and was greeted by firm looks from my parents.

"And just how long does it take you, young man?" My mother reprimanded. I rolled my eyes. "Mom, really. I took a grand total of five minutes. And blame Dad. I inherited his un-comb-able hair after all." I told her.

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, she turned around and unlocked the door to our house, leading me through. The three of us were just about to enter our 'car', when I remembered something. I turned to my parents. "Mom, wait. I forgot my token." I said, already running towards our door. I thre it open, finding it to my pleasure that Mom had forgotten to lock it. I grabbed my token from my table and ran back out. My mother locked the door properly after me, cursing herself for being so forgetful.

As we set off, I took a long hard look at my token, which was a tad ridiculous; I'd seen it a billion times. It was given to me by my best friend Verne Woodward. The two of us were the only friends we had. Verne was the most quiet and reserved person I'd ever met, and people found it simply hard to trust me. Verne would always tell me it was because I tended to be serious and brooding around strangers. I always responded by telling him he acted like a serial killer around strangers.

Still, I couldn't deny the fact that Verne was correct. It took him five years since the time we met at the age of ten, to gain my full trust. I usually avoided conversing with strangers, and even if someone wanted to start up a conversation, they would most likely lose interest after a few minutes, owing to my scarce and serious responses to even a 'hilarious' joke. Verne always told me I gave off a very strong 'have something up my sleeve' vibe, which tended to shoo away people like flies.

My parents sat in the front seats, arguing (as usual) about something stupid. I didn't bother trying to figure out what it was. I simply started fiddling with some strings coming out of the seat. I tried in vain to push the thoughts of the reapings from my mind. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen…

 **Dominique "Nick" Noelle's POV:**

I swung my axe, chopping the branch clean off. It fell straight down, clubbing my best friend Connor Sanders in the head. He let out a cry and held his head.

I burst out laughing, along with my other best friend Matthew Mitchell. The two of us, within minutes were laughing so hysterically, it took effort to stay up in the branch. "Nick!" Krista Adams scolded, limping over to Connor who was currently glaring up at me.

"Nick, I coulda died!" Connor exaggerated. I gave him an expression of mock guilt. "My apologies thy majesty! Forgive me!" I cried, putting my hands together in a 'begging' gesture. Matthew just laughed harder, tears escaping his eyes.

"Honestly you two. One would think you'd act a bit more like sixteen-year olds than five year olds." Krista said, examining Connor's head, which, needless to say, was perfectly fine. I'd purposely picked a small branch.

Matt and I leaped down from the tree and strutted over to our friends, still laughing. "Krista, telling Nick and Matt to grow up is like telling the President of Panem to stop the Hunger Games. Never. Happening." Connor said. He looked our way and let a smile escape his features. I smirked and winked at them.

"See? Someone has _brains_!" I patted Connor on his back. He simply shook his head and took n axe from Matt, who was having a little trouble carrying the three axes. "Come on guys. Reapings' in an hour and all of you look like mud cakes learned to walk." Krista said. She steadied her crutches and started walking away. The three of us exchanged shrugs and followed her.

Krista was the level-headed and mature one in our group. Connor was also mature, but he couldn't stop himself from trying out pranks now and then. Matt and I on the other hand were as far from 'mature' as possible.

Krista's crutches happened a few years ago. A wrongly felled tree collapsed on her, crushing her right leg from below the knee. The crushed part had to be amputated; she'd had crutches ever since then.

The four of us belonged to average families in Seven. We never struggled to keep the food on the table, but we didn't lead lavish lives either. Sure, I had taken out tessarae. Sure my name was in there ten times. But I mean really, twelve year olds in the outer districts had their names in more times than I did.

My father worked as a lumberjack, under the leadership of a kind yet workaholic man called Hamilton Sawyer. He had a son, who was two years older than me. I could never remember the chap's name.

My mother was, well… a little… _different_ ever since the death of my uncle, her twin brother. My uncle had protested against a whipping at the square, and earned a bullet in his head for his deed. Living in Panem, one realized quickly that no good deed goes unpunished. Since that day, my mother had been unstable, on the edge.

As I walked up to the door of my place, I waved good-bye to my friends. Krista smiled at me while Connor and Matt gave me high fives. They turned their ways and walked off; I pounded the knocker against the door. We couldn't afford a doorbell, so we made do with a knocker which had rusted to great lengths about ten years ago.

The door was opened by my elder brother Flint. "Heavens, Nick! It's only about twenty minutes till Reapings! Where in devil's name have you been!?" He cried, slapping his forehead. I looked at my watch, then back at him.

"Um, no. There's still an hour left." I said. "Well, your watch is slow, 'cause there's only twenty minutes left!" Flint shot back. Being eighteen, this year was his last reaping.

"Mom, Dad, we're going to the Reapings! Come on!" Flint called out. He turned back to me and looked me up and down. I realized I was still in my sweaty, dirty and not to mention muddy clothes from the trees. He shrugged. "Well, fashion doesn't really matter, does it?"

I laughed. My father was going to have a fit, but it didn't matter. My parents appeared in the doorway, my father leading my mother by her hands. Flint locked the door behind them, and the four of us started walking towards the Square. I could feel my father's eyes on me.

"Don't gimme that look, Dad. I know that look. It's the today-is-Reaping-Day-and-I-am-in-atrocious-clothes-and-probably-smell-like-rat-poop-and-not-to-mention-am-late-for-the-damn-Reapings look. I've seen it about four times." I turned back to tell him. His only response was a light huff of air. My mother burst into a fit of giggles. I smiled at her, while Flint just smirked.

"See, Nick? Even Dad knows arguing with you is fruitless." He said. I laughed and turned away, trying to ignore the weird bubbly feeling in my chest.

We reached the Square just in time to see our escort getting ready to prance up to the stage. Shine was definitely one of the better escorts, but that wasn't saying all that much. Her bright pink hair stood out in all different directions, and her clothes simply shone too much. I found my place over at the sixteen-year-old girl's section, beside Krista, who had also, like me, ended up at the back due to reaching late. She gave me a tight smile. Everyone had to be nervous at this point of time, eh?

I simply winked at her. It was my policy of never being nervous or worried, and even if I was, never showing it. Humor always had a way of driving out pain, worry and not to mention fear. Shine walked up to the microphone and gripped it, her green fingernails glinting.

"Welcome, people of District Seven! Without much further ado, let us see our two brave warriors for this year's Hunger Games!" She said. I liked the fact that she didn't beat around the bush and got to work. She walked up to the boy's bowl and fished out a name.

"Absalom Sawyer!"

My father's boss' son! The dude who's name I couldn't remember! I watched as a tall, well-built bloke made his way out of the eighteen-year-old section, his arms shaking at his sides, his eyes red. He was clearly trying not to cry, and was doing a good job of it too. When he reached the stage, Shine asked him whether he wanted to address the audience. He just shook his head, looking forward. Shine shrugged and made her way to the girl's bowl. I could feel my mind praying to every god above that it wasn't my name.

It wasn't.

"Krista Adams!"

I could feel my heart stop. My eyes went wide and I looked at Krista, who seemed shocked beyond belief. "This can't be…" she said, her eyes already brimming with tears.

"Krista Adams please?" Shine called again. The peacekeepers were making their way towards us, probably having figured out who Krista was. She took a shaky breath, trying to control her emotions.

My mind was on overdrive. Krista had crutches. She wouldn't make it through the bloodbath, let alone return home victorious. I was about to lose my best friend. I wasn't known for making the cleverest decisions. I wasn't known for thinking stuff out too much. And in that moment, I lived up to my reputation.

"No." I said, grabbing Krista's arm as she started walking towards the stage. I looked up at Shine, above the heads of the crowd in front of me.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

"NO!" Krista cried, trying to take my hand. She had a little trouble keeping herself up on the crutches while holding my hand. I shook it off and smiled. "Hey, mate, I'm sorry okay?" I said.

I stepped out, and felt my arms being grabbed by the Peacekeepers as they started 'escorting' me towards the podium. "AY!" I yelled, enraged. The sheer volume of my command made them stop. "Do you not see my two arms and legs? Am I incapable of walking five meters by myself?" I snapped at them, my face staring back at me from the reflection in their masks. They stepped away, probably seeing some logic.

I walked up to the stage and Shine smiled at me. "Well hello there! A volunteer! May I have the name?" She asked. I glared at her, all my previous liking gone. "Nick." I stated simply. Shine frowned. "No dear, I think the records demand your full name." she said.

I exhaled. I couldn't look all weak and angsty in front of the whole country. I was going into the Games. I might as well have looked and acted the part. I shoved all my anger and fear to the back of my mind and looked at the escort with a more normalized expression. "Dominique. Dominique Noelle." I corrected.

"Ahhh, what a nice name. And do you want to say something?" Shine held the microphone to my mouth, practically shoving the metal surface into my teeth. I stole a glance at the big screen. Staring back at me was a live footage view of myself. I looked like I'd been rolling in dirt the whole of the previous night. My choppy black hair was disheveled, and my clothes were sweaty and muddy. My eyes held a gleam in them. I decided to play along the lines of my appearance.

"Um…" I started. _May as well act like myself_ , I thought. "the cow goes moo?"

One could have heard a pin drop in the audience at my bizarre statement. I laughed, shaking my head. "Sorry, I was kidding with that. Uh, so, next time you see me, hopefully I'll be alive, not in a box." I said. Shine seemed to be at a loss of words, and Absalom and I simply shook hands. He was giving me a wide-eyed look, but then again, the whole of Panem probably was too.

As we were led into the justice building, I simply couldn't think of a way to show my face to my family.

 **Absalom Sawyer's POV:**

I knew my District partner. Her father worked under Dad. The girl seemed to be a little strange, joking about when she'd just volunteered for the Games, but it took guts to do what she did. Volunteering for a friend wasn't common.

I, on the other hand, was a completely different case. I simply couldn't take in the fact that I was actually going into the Games. It was my last year. Last-bloody-year. Couldn't my name stay in the bowl for just one more year?

The door to the waiting room flew open and in stumbled my parents, both looking distraught. They wrapped me in their arms, my mother shaking with sobs. She pulled away and held my face. "It was your last year…" she said.

"Listen son. You're good at work. You're tough. We're gonne be seeing you again, okay? Don't give up on us." My father said. My mother wiped away her tears and regained the strong expression she always had.

"I won't let them take my son away from me, you hear that Hamilton? Absalom, you're coming back to us, or I'm going to show those capitolites what District Seven women can do." she said. I nodded.

"I can't promise you guys anything, but I sure as hell will try." I said. My parents gave me one last hug before the Peacekeeper opened the door. "Time's up!" He called. My mother's expression grew angry.

"Are you telling me you're about to take away the last few minutes I have with my son before he goes into those dreadful Games of yours? Well, sir, if it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay!" she snapped. I stifled a laugh, despite the situation, thinking what the Peacekeepers expression must've been.

"Teresa-" my father started.

"No Hamilton!" Mom turned to me. "Absalom, don't let them take you away from us. I know you can come back, dear. And I know you will." She said. I took her hand in mine and blinked slowly, telling her in an unspoken gesture that I would try m best.

"Hey, time's up! Move it!" The Peacekeeper yelled again. My father put his arms around my mother's shoulders and led her out, but not before giving me a final hug. My mother passed a cold glare towards the Peacekeeper on her way out.

The next to visit me was Verne, at which I wasn't surprised at all. He didn't say anything, just gave me the biggest bear-hug ever. He pulled away and put an arm on my shoulder.

"This year's victor's gonna be you, mate." He said. I laughed. "Well, I sure hope so. Hopes, though, aren't always fulfilled."

"I know. But you have the skill. You can use an axe and a chainsaw. Get some sponsors, maybe form an alliance. People'll like you; you look big enough to catch attention." Verne said, his expression almost angry. I nodded thoughtfully.

"Thanks Verne. Thanks for everything." I managed. Verne raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

I smiled. "Not everyone likes to be best friends with a chap who never talks to strangers."

Verne laughed, which was something he hadn't done in a while. When the Peacekeeper was back, demanding his leave, Verne gave me a meaningful look before leaving.

My parents and friend were waiting for me. I needed to make it back. I had a fairly good build; getting allies shouldn't have been a problem. I would try my best to get sponsors, for I would need them in the Games.

I sighed. I wouldn't say I had this in my hand, but I would make sure everyone saw Absalom Sawyer as a threat, not a weakling.

 **Dominique "Nick" Noelle's POV:**

"Choking…" I squeaked, as my father crushed my ribs in a hug. "I can't believe you did that Nick. That was literally the brave, annoying, ridiculously good thing you would be expected to do." Flint said. He had tears in his eyes, but was trying his best to not let them flow. My mother was sobbing uncontrollably, which did absolutely nothing to reduce the guilt I felt.

My father pulled away and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Nick, you're a fighter. Please, I don't think your mother can stand losing you after she lost Bruce. I don't think she can handle the blow. And I don't think I can either. I refuse t lose you, you understand?" he said, his voice breaking. I could feel my eyes start to water, but I shoved the tears back. "You got it Dad." I told him.

"Nick!" my mother exclaimed, running over and throwing her arms around me. "Please don't leave!" She exclaimed. I smiled. "Don't you worry Mom. You aint getting rid of me so easily." I patted her back.

Our family was swept into another hug, wrapped in the strong hands of my father. It seemed mere moments had passed before the Peacekeeper was poking his head in, telling them they had to leave. My parents pulled away and gave me a kiss on my forehead. My father led my mother out, supporting her sobbing form, but Flint stayed back.

"You're gonna do this, aren't you? You're gonna bloody come back to us." He said. I laughed. "I'll try bro. But, just in case I don't…" my voice broke, but I wanted to finish my sentence. "Find a good use for my room, would ya? Don't rent it out to some weirdo."

Flint's unshed tears finally pushed through the barrier, falling in a steady stream down is cheeks. He stepped forward to give me a hug, but was literally yanked out by the Peacekeeper. I wiped furiously at my eyes, trying to stop my own tears.

The door flew open a second time, and in came my best friends. Matt and Connor looked furious, and Krista was sobbing so bad, I was afraid the water loss would dehydrate her. She came over to me and slapped me straight across my face.

"You idiot! You utter idiot! Why did you do that!?" she exclaimed. I smirked. "Last I checked, it was to save your damn life."

"You think I can live with myself if you die in the arena!?" She threw her arms around me, crying into my shoulder. Matt and Connor joined our embrace, their brotherly addition doing nothing to help me keep my resolve of not crying.

The four pulled away, and Matt gave me a hard look. "You're gonna come back. I don't care how, but you're gonn make it out of the arena. Alive."

"For the first time, Matt's right. Nick, you're good with the axes. Use that. Get some sponsors. Just come back to us." Connor added. Krista wiped her face dry (somewhat) and fished something out of her pocket. She pushed it into my palm, and I examined it closely. It was a brass compass, roughly half the length of my pinkie in diameter. On top, the names "Nick, Matthew, Krista And Connor." Were engraved in beautiful cursive. I didn't know how they'd gotten this, but I was thankful for it all the same. I looked up at Krista, who'd started tearing up again. Her voice broke when she said her next words.

"Find your way back to home, will ya?"

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Aww, I'm so darned mean, aren't I? Well, I think I've officially gone from 100% to 110% loopy after seeing this story cross a hundred reviews. LIKE OMG YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW HAPPY YOU'VE MADE ME LIKE HECK YEAHUS! Shout-out to every single one of my reviewers and readers; you guys are the best-est. Not just the best. The best-** _ **est**_ **.**

 ***looks around for the soul of English Language which will haunt the dreams forever***

 **Thank you to Josephm611 and WGGTD1916 for the amazing tributes! I loved writing about them so much. And yes, if anyone was thinking, Absalom's token isnt revealed. I just felt like revealing it later. Hehe.**

 **Right. Reply time!**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: Thank you for the tribute! Hartley is amazing and deserved justice! I like him, don't worry! And I really didn't know that about Avena's name; It was cool and a tad strange to find out, but awesome nonetheless!**

 **To Josephm611: Oh It's okay! I understand! It's okay too to not like every single tribute, and I respect your opinions! And I agree: Not all are innocent at all. :)**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: I liked Avena too! They're both nice tributes! Hope you liked this chapter too!:)**

 **To lifelong potterhead: Really, your compliments make me feel so much better about my writing! And if you're running out of things to say, you could always give me suggestions and thoughts on the tributes; I'd love to hear *cough* read *cough* them. ;)**

 **To Reader Castellan: Thank you! I liked them too! I can see that almost everyone liked Avena. Hehe. Thanks for the compliment! Hope this chapter was good!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! I like Avena too! Hope this was good too!**

 **To chasing-wonderland: Oh it's fine! Oh and you spelt it mostly correct, 'cept it's Siobhan not Siobahn. But I'm so glad you like her! And also, I'm so glad I was able to do Avena justice; she's a really great character! Poor Hartley, eh? Hope this was good! And also, congratulations on being the 100** **th** **reviewer!**

 **To AgentWriter: The tributes better keep an eye out. I felt really bad for Hartley too, and they really are great characters! I'm glad you like Avena! Hope you liked this chapter too! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: Dang, you were the only person to notice that! Even I didn't! And I think everyone felt at least a ted bad for Hartley… I'm so happy you liked Avena!**

 **To MidnightRaven323: I understand. Exam time is hard… I liked Law's catchphrase too! And I'm so glad Avena wasn't a Mary-Sue. That would've been bad. I'll try to put more info about Hartley as the story progresses! Hope this chapter was good!**

 **To deny: Aww, thank you so much! Their backgrounds were different indeed. The creators deserve some serious credit. Hope this chapter's good!**

 **To maliceismyname: Like I said, we all feel bad for Hartley. I'm glad you liked them! :)**

 **To Guest: Thank you! Hope this was good too! :)**

 **Keep reading, reviewing, favouriting, following and whatever other nice stuff you guys feel like! Also, feel absolutely free to PM me with suggestion, requests and advice; I love to hear from you guys. And if I hadn't mentioned this. OMG 100+ REVIEWS HAHAHAHAHAHAH!**

 **Oh, and Hands up if anyone caught the Power of Five reference. ;)**

 **See ya next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Reapings:**

 **District Eight:**

 **Ruben Van der Valt's POV:**

Blood. Sweet, fragrant blood.

The smell tickled my nose and I chuckled to myself. I ran the cleared liquid over my forehand, savoring the feel of it as it colored my pale skin red. I wished it would stay, staining my arms with the memory of death.

I sighed. How I wished this had been human blood. I looked to the side of the chair, where the decapitated body of an orange cat lay, its intestines protruding from its stomach, its blood mingling with the dirt of the floor. I kicked it, seeing a little more blood come out. Once again, I let out a laugh at the joy it gave me.

Many people said I was psychotic for loving the feeling of blood and kill. I disagreed. People liked many bizarre things. Some liked clothes, some liked other people. Was it too strange that I liked blood?

I got up and stretched my arms above my head. I wiped my knife on my pants, loving the fact that it stained my pants red. Some vague thing tugged at the back of my head. It was something today, something important.

Of course! Today was Reaping day. The day when two kids would be selected to go into the Hunger Games and die pathetic deaths. I sighed again. Not one death in the Games was artistic. Most were straightforward, simply stabbing. If someone had an imagination, it would be a beheading. But nothing which caught my eye. Nothing that treated me to the beautiful sight of spilled blood.

I took off my half-torn shirt. I needed to go to the Reapings, so I might as well have gone wearing normal clothes. I took a look at my pants. The left leg was torn in half, exposing my leg from below the knee. The right leg was relatively normal. I decided to leave it be. I couldn't care less about what I looked. I grabbed a shirt off the dusty sofa which sat five feet from me. I couldn't remember the last time I had cleaned it, but I didn't care either. The shirt I had in my hand used to originally be of a white color, but the white had faded to a dull bleached gray. I slipped it over my head and ran my fingers through my long black hair. My hair fell to my mid-neck, brushing my skin. I barely cut it, and when I did, it was with a knife, which led to my hair being choppy and uneven.

District eight was as foreign to me as anything outside of Panem. I lived secluded from the entire district, just beyond the edge of the forest. I had some idea that our district specialized in clothes (or something like that) but that was all I knew about it. My earliest memory was that of my father murdering my mother, and hanging himself shortly afterwards. That had been when I was four. By some way or the other, I had ended up here, in this run-down house.

I strived on foods from the forest. The forest supplied me with ample meat, and when things got a tad dire, with ample vegetation. I contented myself in killing the pathetic animals that crawled the grounds of the vegetation, but my main liking was killing people.

Their screams, their fear. It was intoxicating and addicting. I'd made my first kill at the age of nine. It had been a five-year-old girl, who'd gotten hopelessly lost in the forest, and ended up in my clutches. Her pleas for help as I sliced up every part of her still rang through my ears, giving me a pleasure unknown to people who hadn't experienced this feeling.

Occasionally, some passerby would get lost in the forest. They'd be the newest addition to my collection. I ran my hand over the dozen bottles lined against the table. Each bottle contained the blood of a victim. Some had turned a strange shade of brown, but I didn't care. It still gave me satisfaction, knowing I had murdered twelve people in beautiful, artistic ways.

Right. I needed to get out of this place. The Reapings were going to start, and I didn't want to be late. I wanted to see the faces of the kids who would be killed in the arena. I wanted to gauge whether or not they would scream loud enough to appease me. I wanted to measure their capacity for taking blows before their cannon blew.

At eighteen, my name was in their quite a few times. I had taken out tessarae, because sometimes, I wanted food outside of the forest's provisions. I didn't really care much about the Games, just about the fact that they sometimes out up a good show. But of course, that was rare, and an eye-catching death was yet to come.

I didn't bother showering. I had done so before going out to kill the cat, which was just two hours ago. I liked keeping myself washed, but didn't bother doing so with my house. I opened the door, not wanting to waste any more valuable time, and shut it behind me. The forest greeted me with open arms. I saw a squirrel scurrying up the branches of a tree, and briefly considered satisfying the urge of gutting it. I shook my head. I could do so later. Right now, I had to be present for the darned Reapings.

Chuckling once more as I pictured the look on the squirrel's face when I killed it, I set towards the direction of the Reaping Square. I would need to ask directions, in order to get there, due to not knowing one single thing about my district. But all the boredom of the Reapings would pay off when I came back.

A squirrel was waiting for me…

 **Bellona Irving's POV:**

"Come on Bellona, you can do better than that!" My father urged, as I sparred with him. Letting out a low growl, I pushed harder, letting my makeshift sword graze the right side of his arm. He laughed. "That's what I'm talking about!"

I grinned. "So, Dad. You think I'm gonna win this thing?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. The question had become something of a joke in our household. My father let out a bellowing laugh. "Win it? Those careers are going to _wish_ they were as good as you!"

"Oh honestly Ronan, you need to stop. She'll become so full of herself, it's unimaginable! Enough with the praise!" My mother said, smirking. I knew she was kidding, of course, she'd always reprimand my father for praising me too much. Though I couldn't say I minded it.

My parents were known throughout District Eight. Caspian Irving was the victor of the forty-forth hunger Games, and my mother, Michelle had won exactly two years after that. They'd met at the victor's village. And fell in love. And all that bull.

My parents weren't always about the games. There used to be a time when my mother was a sweet little girl. But after winning the Games, they had been pampered by the Capitol. They got everything they'd ever asked for. And soon, so would I.

I, being the daughter of two victors, was obviously going to volunteer. I'd just been biding my time, training every day with my parents, waiting for the moment when I turned eighteen. And now that I had, I couldn't wait to get myself into the Games. Eight hadn't had a victor since Tony Clouds won the Forty-Seventh Hunger Games. And that was simply by running away whenever someone got within fifty meters. Bor- _ing_.

"Get ready, already! We want you to be perfect for your big day, don't we?" my mother said, ruffling my hair. I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I'm going to volunteer for the Hunger Games, not participate in a fashion show."

Nevertheless, I ran up to my room, and threw on a spaghetti strapped gray dress and a jade-green necklace. I smirked to myself. Being the daughter of two former victors had its perks. Sure, I didn't have friends. Sure my relations had been for show. But every time I thought about the glory of winning the Games and living in a lavish house of my own, other thoughts went clear out of my mind.

I mean, usually, in outer districts, no one volunteered. There had been a crazy girl from Ten last year, but she'd been taken out quickly by the female tribute from Seven. I sniggered. I wasn't going to let that happen to me. I would be winning these games.

People feared the Games, thinking they were some form of torture. For me though, the true motive behind the Games was clear. They weeded out the weak and gave the glory to deserving people like myself. The Capitol may have been too frivolous about the whole thing, but they must've had some true geniuses in their midst if they thought up of this.

I flew down the stairs and wasted no time as the three of us shuffled out of our house. The reaping square was only a five minute walk from our place, so we refrained from taking the car. I could feel adrenaline coursing through my entire being as I took each step. Each stride forward took me a step closer to my target of winning the Games. I barely noticed when we reached the Square.

I quickly joined the eighteen-year-old girl's section. I was just in time. Our escort Mist walked up to the stage her blue gown falling in layers of fabric behind her. She didn't waste time. She used to be real cheerful and peppy, but over the years, she'd become dull and boring. She didn't bother giving a speech.

"Ladies first, huh?" She said. She walked over to the girl's bowl. I tensed, feeling every nerve in my body scream with anticipation. The moment was finally here!

"Abigail Winfred!"

My hand shot up in the air. "I volunteer!"

A collective gasp could be heard the rippling through the audience. A girl had started making her way to the stands from the fifteen-year-old section, crying. Her tears had stopped and she looked at me with big green eyes. I snickered. How pathetic.

Calming my excited nerves, I walked up to the stage with a confident step in my stride. As I made my way over to Mist, I caught sight of the camera and smiled. I waved at it, which earned me a confused look from Mist. She held out the mic to me.

"May I know the name of this young brave lady?" She asked, obviously happy to have some drama. I smirked. "You may already know it. You already know my parents of course. My name's Bellona Irving, and I can promise the whole of Panem that I won't let down the name of the Irving family!" I exclaimed. Mist laughed.

"I'm sure you won't." She patted my back. She made her way over to the boys' bowl and fished out a card.

"Ruben Van der Valt!"

My eyes scanned the crowd for my would-be opponent. I could see some agitation in the eighteen-year-old section. A tall boy stumbled out as though he'd been pushed. He turned to glare at the person with a look that sent goosebumps up my arms. Something about his gaze was unsettling. He looked, unbalanced, maybe even insane.

He caught himself and grinned, as though he'd just realized something pleasant. He walked up to the stage and stood beside Mist. He was at least six foot tall, with muscular arms and long black hair. I knew immediately that he was a threat.

"You want to say something?" Mist asked, seemingly disappointed by the lack of drama. The boy took the mic and spoke in a hoarse, creepy voice.

"All I'm gonna say is that Panem will get the treat of seeing some truly masterpiece deaths this Hunger Games."

I grinned. So, my District partner had some spunk. He was obviously useful; I'd just have to find a way to manipulate him into helping me. The two of us shook hands, and the moment we did, I could feel his eyes boring into me, as though gauging how much I'd scream if he attacked me.

As we were led into the Justice building, I thought about him. He didn't seem like the sharpest twig in the lot, but had a lot of brutality to offer. I could use that. A plan had already started forming itself in my mind. I couldn't wait to implement it!

My good-byes included only my parents, of course. My mother offered me a necklace as my token, beaming with pride. I refused her, pushing her hand away. "Emotional value is too overrated." I said. Her smile grew wider.

"Oh Bellona, I'm sure you're going to show all of them! Remember to give them a good show during personal training. And of course, don't forget. You have to get in with the careers." She said. My father laughed.

"Oh, Panem is in for a treat!" he exclaimed. The two of them gave me quick hugs before walking out the door. I felt glad. I'd been hoping they didn't get all mushy-mushy. I needed my mind clear. I could find my way into the career alliance, and then I'd make their very alliance fall apart.

I smirked again. Panem was indeed about to be served a treat.

 **Ruben Van der Valt's POV:**

I could barely control my laughter. Every inch of my body screamed out of elation. I could picture each one of them. Each tribute as they screamed as I pulled out their blood, drop by drop. It wasn't the killing that fascinated me. It was the pain of the tributes. Every scream was like honey to my ears.

It had been a stroke of luck, getting Reaped. My District partner seemed fiery and confident. She would probably be ruthless too, being the daughter of victors. I chuckled. District Eight had an interesting duo this year.

I took in a deep breath. I couldn't wait until the Games started. I curled my fingers, trying to get the feeling of someone's neck as I squeezed the life out of them. It wouldn't be long before I was known as Ruben Van der Valt: the artist who painted his masterpieces in beautiful, red, blood.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: I know, Ruben's goodbye is short. But that's how the creator wanted it. honestly, it couldn't have been very long, seeing to the fact that he doesn't have all that many friends. *cough* any friends *cough***

 **Thank you to minhosgirl and WGGTD1916 for these amazing tributes! I'll have a lot of fun writing them! they certainly are different!**

 **Right. So, there are a few things I wanted to talk about. Firstly, I've been asked quite a few times how I'm going to choose the victor, and I think it's time I give y'all the answer.**

 **The victor will be chosen based on quite a few things. I will put up a poll after the Reapings, because I obviously wouldn't want an un-popular person to win. I will also judge based on the abilities and weaknesses of the tributes. Also, your reviews will help me gauge the popularity of the tributes. The frequency of your review does affect the chances of your tribute's survival, but it isn't the main criterion. Hope that clears stuff up! :)**

 **Also, do you guys want me to ask questions at the end of the author's note? Should I do the questions here and replies by PM, or replies here and no questions? Do tell me! :)**

 **Oh and if I haven't already mentioned this, I'm completely absolutely open to requests and suggestions. I'm always ready for advice; I am a new author after all. Anytime you wanna tell me sum'n, feel free to send a PM!**

 **Reply time!**

 **To lifelong potterhead: Well, I can't really say now what will happen in the Games, but I'm glad you liked her! And the suggestion was cool (though again, I can't say what I'll be doing. The last thing I need is to spoil my own story, lol XD) and don't worry! Suggestions are more than welcome!**

 **To Reader Castellan: Lol, even I liked his hair! I had a laugh myself when I wrote about Nick's joke on the stage. Dunno how I thought of that. On a side note, I actually didn't notice the ref of Krista's last name! The only ones I thought I made were Matt and Flint! Hehe. ;)**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: I certainly hope I don't make her fall into a cliché, she really is an amazing character! Also, as you requested, here was D8! Hope it was good! Thank you so much for the chart, it helped me understand your opinion of the tributes a lot! :)**

 **To Josephm611: I'll be frank with you, Absalom deserved justice. He is an amazing character, and I sure hope I can write him well as the story progresses! I'll be sure to keep your advice in mind for the future chapters! As for Nick, I respect your opinion, and strong opinions are perfectly welcome, along with critique!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: I agree, it was sad. I felt sad myself. :( Thank you so much for the compliment and I really hope you liked this chapter too! :)**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: Thanks! I'll try my best not to make her cliché! And the creator of Absalom deserves some serious credit for thinking up of so many details, eh? I've already started loving your SYOT and cannot wait for an update! It's amazing! :)**

 **To MidnightRaven: Well, Nick is Nick. I mean, she volunteered for the Games and her comment was "the cow says moo". I myself didn't catch the Alice in Wonderland reference, and it surprised me that you did! :D And I initially thought Nick was cliché too, but when I read her reason, it seemed more… reasonable. Lol. XD**

 **To AgentWriter: Thank you! I'm so glad you liked Nick! I'll admit, I'm quite proud of myself for thinking up of her response! :P And her reason for volunteering was really touching, eh? I'm so glad you liked the D7 tributes, I liked them too! And I hope the A/N at the beginning of the A/N (?) cleared up your question!**

 **To Sally the Lioness: I'm so happy you liked them! And it's okay! I made two references, one of whch was Matt, and the other was Nick's brother Flint(which is Scott's name in PO5). As pointed out by Reader Castellan, I made another one in Krista's last name Adams! XD**

 **To deny: Thank you! I loved the characters as well! Hope this is good!**

 **To WGGTD1916: Oh it's okay! Don't worry! I'm so glad I wrote Nick well; she deserves Justice! Glad you liked Absalom! Hope this update was good! ;)**

 **To maliceismyname: I'm so happy that you guys liked Nick's…** _ **response**_ **. Nick and Absalom are amazing characters and I'm so glad you liked them! I respect your opinion! Thank you so much and I hope you like this! :)**

 **Alrighty! I can't deny going a tad ecstatic whenever I see any increase in number of favs, follows, reviews or all three! It makes me so happy! I hope you guys enjoyed the chappie! Thanks for the AMAZING reviews! I think I've gone around telling literally everyone that my story crossed 115 reviews!**

 **See y'all next time! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Reapings:**

 **District Twelve:**

 **Evangeline Scott's POV:**

"Yoo hoo!" I heard my mother's soft voice. A smile made its way onto my face as I slowly opened my eyes. There sat my mother on the side of my bed, smiling as she gently brushed my hair away from my sleepy eyes. Her kind look made me want to forget what today was, though there was no running away from it.

"Wake up, dear. It's Reaping Day. You can't be late for that, can you?" She said, bending down to plant soft kiss on my forehead. I smiled wider and sat up. "Of course, Ma. I definitely wouldn't want to get late for my first Reapings. That's be dreadful to the utmost level." I said, adding a tinge of sarcasm to my statement. My mother's smile dropped to a sad one as she rubbed my cheek.

"Get ready Eva." She said simply. She got up and pulled apart the curtains, causing me to shut my eyes tight at the sudden sunlight. My mother laughed and walked out the door, shutting it behind her. I sighed and pushed myself off the bed, the wooden floor tickling the skin of my feet. I shuddered as I thought about the occasion.

Reaping Day. The day when two kids, innocent kids, would be selected to go into the arena. I felt bad for not only the Tributes, but also the Gamemakers. It must have hurt them to kill all their feelings and participate in murdering people. But then again, people were what they were taught to be. I couldn't blame them for that.

I wasn't all that worried. I was only twelve, though I would turn thirteen in the next two weeks. I smirked as the thought of entering the 'teen' years popped into my head. I shook it off, though the silly grin stayed plastered onto my face.

My name was only in the Reaping bowl about, oh let's see, _one_ time. Even though District Twelve wasn't exactly the biggest district, there was absolutely no way that my one slip would be picked out of at least a thousand others. I let out a small sigh and walked to the washroom to freshen up. If I was to go to the Reapings, I should have at least looked presentable.

I stepped into the washroom and opened the tap, letting the sound of fresh water take my mind away from my thoughts. I was quickly drawn back to reality by my father's call from downstairs. I simply smiled and splashed the cool water onto my face. Once I'd freshened up, I dried myself over and headed back out to select a dress for myself.

I opened the cupboard and found an assortment of a satisfying amount of dresses. My mind travelled to the many people in my district who couldn't afford a day's meal, much less dresses like mine. I sighed. The whole thing was unfair, but there was nothing I could do to help it. I let my eyes wander over each dress before they finally settled. On a green sleeveless frilly one I'd gotten as a gift from my grandmother. She'd passed away two years ago, and the memory still made me sad. Nevertheless, I took it out and slipped it onto myself. I turned and looked at myself in the mirror.

I wasn't all that tall, but I had a fair bit strength due to having been traied a little in the knowledge and practice of martial arts. In a district like twelve, my father thought it to be imperative that I knew some sort of self defense. I had my mother's auburn hair and father's sea-green eyes. I wouldn't have gone to far lengths as to call myself beautiful or pretty, but I wasn't bad-looking.

Letting out a soft giggle, I turned on my heel and walked out my door. I was greeted my another kiss from my mother and a kind chuckle from my father. "Look at my little doll. Growing up, is she?" he said teasingly. I blushed.

My mother patted my back and gestured to my father to get up. He did so with a weary expression on his face. She gave him a meaningful look and nodded towards me. He sighed and came over, kneeling down in front of me. He took my shoulders and looked right into my eyes.

"Listen Evangeline. This is your first Reaping, and I know you're scared. But don't let it worry you, okay? Your name is in their only once. There's absolutely no chance it will get picked. So, I just want you to calm down and not worry about a thing. We're here for you, okay?" he said in the gentlest voice I'd ever heard come out of his mouth. I blinked back tears.

"Thanks Dad." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. I was more than just lucky to have parents like them. I knew kids in this District who had to scrounge for food, while my parents provided me with a well-to-do lifestyle. I never starved, and I couldn't possibly have asked for more. My father being a grocer could provide surplus for us. My mother did laundry, and almost the entire District came to her shop.

Not just that, I had many friends at school too. I tried being nice to everyone, unlike those snobby brats who lived in the so-called 'richer' parts of the District. I believed everyone deserved to be treated fairly, regardless of their status in the district. In fact, one of my best friends was a girl my age, Tawny Hall from the Seam area. She was a wonderful person to be with, and I was quite frankly fortunate to have her as my friend.

Pulling away from my father's warm embrace, I smiled at him. "I know, Dad. Trust me. I'm not worrying. Your little Eva's not going anywhere, I can assure you." But even as I said it, I could feel my heart being weighed down by something. It was a strange feeling, but every twelve-year-old experienced it.

My name wouldn't be called… My name couldn't be called…

I repeated the words in my head like a chant as I made my way out of our house. But despite the sheer number of times I'd said the statement in my head, the feeling remained…

 **Blake Coleman's POV:**

I smiled my most winning smile at the lady in front of me. "Yes ma'am, that brooch does go fairly well with your eyes. Should I pack it?" I said, trying not to lose my cool. This lady had spent an hour admiring at least fifty brooches, and still hadn't made up her god darned mind. Thank the lords, I had a fair amount of patience within me.

"Oh I don't know sweetie, don't you think the color's a little too dull? Maybe I should just leave it be…" she said, looking at the 'emerald' brooch in her hand. It was really just a shiny green stone, but it was shiny enough for us to pass it off as an emerald, especially to people like my newest customer, who just so happened to be the Mayor's family friend.

But, a customer was a customer. I could have gotten a fair amount of money from that brooch, and there was no way I was letting this deal slip. I widened my eyes, putting on a shocked expression. "Oh, ma'am what a dreadful pity that'd be!" I exclaimed. "Have you seen the way the green brings out your eyes? Simply beautiful, much like yourself, may I add." I said. The lady blushed, and for a moment, I thought I had her.

Then the giant of a man walked through the door and threw the entire deal down the drain.

He towered at least a foot above me, with rippling muscles and a square jaw set firmly, teeth grinding against each other. I tried for a winning smile, but something told me my smile was more like that of a cornered animal.

"Don't you sweet-talk my wife like that, you little Seam scumbag." He growled. The lady looked up at him with a slightly appalled expression on her face. "Don't you say anything to this sweetheart here Vladimir." She turned to me and grinned, flashing her pearl-white teeth. "Maybe next time, dear. I need to have a little talk with Vladimir here."

With that, she spun on her two-inch heel and walked out the door, adding a glare to her 'Vladimir' as she went, who in turn gave me a look of pure loathing.

"But…" I started. The two completely ignored my protest and walked out, leaving me hanging. I banged my fist against the counter, letting out a frustrated cry. That could have fetched me a ton of money. Now I had nothing to show.

Suddenly, I felt a strong arm link its way around my neck, mirthful laughter filling my ears. I didn't even need to look to know who it was. "Hey Virgil." I sighed. The Peacekeeper simply shook his head.

"What do I always say, Blake? Pretty face, pretty words, but nothing to back 'em up." He said. I let a smile make its way over my face, but I was still disappointed from the loss. I was quickly shaken away from everything though, but a sudden crash. I rolled my eyes. "If you guys can't control yourselves, why in the world do you drink?" I asked no one in particular. Virgil just laughed.

"We do need to support lost causes like y'all don't we?" he said. The comment wasn't meant to sting, and I didn't let it. I'd become used to taunts over time. I made my way over to the table, where another Peacekeeper, who called himself Chad, if memory served, was currently slumped over, the clear spirit flowing from the bottle. I took the bottle from his hand and kept it on the table upright; why waste precious spirit on a drunk Peacekeeper?

Chad jumped up and hurled himself at me, but his movements were sluggish after at least five rounds of the liquid. I quickly brought out my dagger from my belt and held it to his wrist as he tried to get me in a head-lock. I knocked his fist away and gave him a slight shove, landing him back in his seat; the chap was too drunk to fight back.

"Easy there mate. We don't want any nasty business here. I'm going to get you another drink. Do me a favor and stay put." I said in a stern voice. Chad muttered something unintelligible and fell back into his seat, as I walked away with the bottle. He was my only customer, so I didn't need to worry about leaving anyone else as I went to the Reapings.

Virgil was clutching his sides from laughter. "That's really something Blake." He said. He clapped my back again, earning a weak smile from my side.

"We need to go Virgil. Chad's probably passed out. I need to get to the Reapings in time. And you can't stay here while I'm gone." I said, putting the small knife back into my belt. Virgil only smirked. "I think you forget, Blake. I'm a Peacekeeper. I can do any damn thing I want. But I suppose, you have to go to the Reapings."

I shook my head, letting out a small sigh. Without waiting for any more responses from Virgil, I walked out the door, leaving him laughing behind me. I needed to put on some decent clothes for the Reapings, and the ones that I wore currently were disgusting and stinky. The Hob wasn't a long way from my place, so t would only take me about five minutes to reach.

This had become my regular routine. From the minute I woke up in the morning, to the time my head hit the pillow at night; all my energy and thoughts went on trying to sell goods to customers. Darcy, my elder sister would procure the items; I would sell them. I had been deemed fit for the job by none other than Darcy herself, having had what she liked to call a 'sweet voice'.

It had happened when I was thirteen. A mine accident had blown off my father's legs, leaving him incapacitated for the rest of his life. My mother had died when I was merely four, and my father's accident had forced us into work. From the tiny age of thirteen, I would frequent the stall, selling the goods that Darcy came up with using my wit.

We had a simple system really. Darcy would steal the items from the merchants sections; sometimes brooches, pins and other trinkets, though mostly our stuff was spirits, they fetched more money than any number of fashion items. I would sell them, using my words to talk the customers into buying the stuff. But even with our Black market stall at the Hob, Darcy and I couldn't bring up enough money for the four of us.

Geo, my eldest brother somewhat made up for that. He slaved away at the mines, spending day and night at the underground place. I wanted one day to go by when the three of us would simply sit beside the fire with our father and relax, enjoying each others' company. I let out a bitter laugh. Yeah right. As if that was going to happen.

I reached the front door of our house and knocked. Almost immediately, a young man opened the door. I grinned, seeing the face of Geo's best friend, Lukas Everdeen. I didn't know much about him save the fact that he was the same twenty-four years of age as Geo, and that he liked the daughter of some apothecary.

"Hey there Blake! We were waiting for ya. Geo called me over before the Reapings, so, here I am!" He said. I nodded at him before disappearing into my room, not bothering to respond to Darcy's snarky comment about my messy hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Geo holding on to the handle of my father's wheelchair, waiting for me to get ready. Lukas frequented our place, so it wasn't all that unusual for him to be the one to have greeted me.

I closed the door to my room behind me and threw open the thing which was probably the lamest excuse for a trunk. I brought out a plain navy-blue shirt that used to be Geo's. It wasn't the most attractive, and the damn sleeves wouldn't stay above my wrists even if I folded them, but it worked for me. I threw on some dark-wash jeans and headed out the door after slipping on my combat boots.

"Let's go then, shall we?" Darcy said, adding an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Yes, we shall." I said, equally snobby. My father laughed and shook his head. "You two never grow up, do you?" he said. Geo simply smiled the slightest and headed out the door, pushing my father along on his wheelchair. Lukas followed him and was tailed by Darcy and myself.

Within no time, I found myself standing in the huge crowd, waiting for the escort Dielle to make her way up the steps of the stage. I never usually had time to worry about the Games or the capitol, having more important thing on my mind, but now, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for the people who'd be going into the Games. I had another year to go, assuming I wasn't Reaped, being seventeen. I had taken out a big amount of tessarae, and my name was in there twenty-four times. I hadn't allowed myself to worry about this, sure, but I couldn't stop the way my heart threatened to beat out of my ribcage as Dielle pranced up the stage.

She looked ridiculous in her skintight neon green jumpsuit and bright pink sparkly hair. To add to that, she seemed to perpetually be on an overdose of sugar. "Welcome everyone! I'm so happy to see y'all again! Did you miss me!? We'll just get to the names, so we don't have to wait too long before knowing the names of this year's tributes!" She spoke in a rapid-fire machine gun way. She walked over to the boy's bowl, and picked out a name. I could feel the whole situation slow down around me.

"Blake Coleman!"

I expected myself to break down totally, but to be honest, I felt just conflicted. A part of my brain screamed at me that this was my chance at a new life. If I won, we'd never have to deal with the black market again, and I could have the life I'd always wanted. That part was quickly shushed into silence by the rational part of me. My wit and words would be of no use against experienced killers.

Nevertheless, I kept a blank face, refusing to let any emotion slip. I steadily walked up to the stage, fighting the urge to bolt. My eyes travelled the crowd and I spotter my family. Darcy looked lightning struck and was clutching Geo's arm, who seemed to be in a state of shock. My father had tears in his eyes. As I climbed up the steps, my gaze fell upon Virgil, who stood guard at the stage. He was gripping his gun so tightly, his knuckled had turned white. He was looking ahead with a hard expression, but I caught the hint of a quiver in his lower lip.

I mounted the stage and walked over to stand beside Dielle as she groped around the girl's bowl, not even bothering herself enough to be asking me whether or not I would have liked to address the audience. Not that I particularly would have.

"Evangeline Scott!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly, a figure emerged from the twelve-year-old section. I could feel my insides boil up. This girl was clearly from a rich family, probably had been pampered her whole life. And here I was, worrying every day about my next meal. I could feel my eyes narrow at her smaller form as she stumbled up to the stage in shock.

We didn't waste any time and simply shook hands when the escort ordered us to. As the two of us were led inside the Justice building, I could hear her sniffling slightly, probably trying to hold her sobs in.

 **Evangeline Scott's POV:**

Why me!? How could it possibly have been me? I hadn't taken any tessarae, and I was only twelve! I finally cracked when I sat down on the chair of the waiting room. My tears flowed in steady streams as I shook with sobs.

The door burst open and my parents stormed in, my mother sobbing and my father looking awfully close to tears. They swept me into their arms and simply stayed there. I cried into their bodies as I tried to get my mind wrapped around my situation.

"My poor girl…" My mother said. Unable to continue, she turned away, dabbing furiously at her eyes. My father took me by the shoulders. "Eva, just try to win this, okay? Please just try. You know self defense, and you're likeable enough. Make some allies and stay in the game. Show them what your worth is." He said. He kissed the top of my head, but I failed in responding; I was crying way too hard. My father took off the locket around his neck and put it on my own; a single piece of metal with my whole family's name engraved on it. They wrapped their arms around me once again.

"I wont let them take my girl away from me Daniel, I won't!" My mother exclaimed. She hugged me tighter, as though she'd never get the opportunity again, which, given the circumstances, I suppose she wouldn't have.

We stayed in each other's embrace, savoring the last moments with each other, until the Peacekeeper came to take them away.

 **Blake Coleman's POV:**

"DAMN THEM!" Darcy exclaimed, punching the wall of the waiting room. "Darcy, punishing the wall isn't gonna do much good." I said. She turned around and I almost took a step back; the fire in her eyes was scary. "Blake, you'd better show those god forsaken idiots what it mean to be a child of the Seam. Go show them, okay?" She said, gripping my shoulders hard. She pulled me into the tightest hug she'd ever given me, and hastily pulled away.

"Blake, you've got the brains, and the words. Play your way into an alliance or something. Just stay alive. I know you can do this." Geo said, as he put an arm on my shoulder. I gave him what I hoped was a winning smile. Unfortunately, I wasn't all that sure it was.

"My son…" My father said. I bent down and hugged him, wrapping my arms tightly around his burly frame. "I can't bear losing you after your mother. Come back to us, promise me you will." He said, ruffling my hair. I pulled away and smiled.

"I'll try Dad. I'll try for you guys. Just imagine. If I win this thing, no more worries. We'll be living a life of peace in the victor's village." I took in a deep breath, catching myself. "Look, I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but just tell me you guys won't lose hope." I said.

My words seemed to calm my family, which was a relief. Darcy growled slightly. "Lemme just tell you that if you don't come back to us, I'll blow my top. And that aint gonna be pretty, Blake."

I laughed. "No, I'm sure it wouldn't." I said. Suddenly the door opened up, and the stern voice of none other than Virgil greeted us.

"Time's up." He said. My family pulled me into another tight hug, the warmest one from my father, just before walking out, Darcy cussing like a sailor under her breath. Once they were gone, I expected virgil to shut the door, but he surprised me by lifting his mask so I could see his eyes, which were hard and angry.

"Blake, just…" He started. I patted his shoulder. I knew this was his own strange way of wishing me luck. We were never really friends, but we were the only thing the other had which was even slightly close to one. Virgil was one of the only people outside my family that I even sort of cared about. He looked down before adding his final words.

"Try not to get your guts spilled in the arena."

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Hey again! I'm really tired as of now, so this'll be very short. Sorry for the late update, but I hope you giys enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to Sally the Lioness and MidnightRaven323 for these amazong tributes!**

 **And thanks to each and every one of you for all your support! 138 reviews like HOLY JUMPING PANCAKES IMMA GO CRAZY NOW! Cant thank y'all enough. I'll be doing the replies to the reviews of this chapter in the next, not by PM. Dunno why, just decided that. Hehe.**

 **So, fav, follow and review if you think my story deserves it! Any and all three make me happy!**

 **Until next time, eh?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Reapings:**

 **District Eleven:**

 **Dwayne McCane POV:**

"Move it Dwayne!" I heard my brother yell. I simply rolled over and stuck my tongue out at him sleepily. "Ten more minutes, 'kay?" I said, not wanting to move from my spot on my soft bed. Well, no really that soft, but it didn't matter.

"MOVE!" my ten-year-old brother Gabriel screamed. He jumped on top of my stomach and started punching my gut, knocking the breath out of me. I let out a cry and sat up, tackling him to the other side of the bed. "Ten more minutes!" I screamed, though now it made no sense to do so. I was already wide awake. But nevertheless, this action made Gabriel laugh, so I played along.

"But its Reaping Day! Dad says we can't be late!" he protested. I grinned 'evilly' and laughed. "Fine. I'll wake up. But as a punishment for waking me up…" I smirked at drove my fingers into his ribs, tickling the mickey out of him. He doubled over, squirming and wiggling, laughing all the while. "Tickle attack!" I yelled.

My father appeared in the doorway, smiling softly. "Dwayne, stop it, will you? You need to get ready for the Reapings. And Gabriel, leave your brother alone, he has a lot to do as it is; he needs to get himself ready." He said, trying to hide a smirk.

I laughed and released Gabriel, who fell to the floor beside my bed and copying my previous actions, stuck his tongue out at me. I grabbed for his shirt, but the little devil swooped away behind my father, who gave me his 'stern' look. I grinned sheepishly.

"Right. Reapings. Getting ready. On it." I said, scrambling out of bed. My father gave me a curt nod before disappearing into the hallway. I lazily walked over to the door and shut it. I made my way to the washroom and threw around some water, freshening myself up. I didn't care all that much when it came to appearance, but say I was Reaped today. I didn't want the entire nation to see me looking like an undead monster.

I ran my hands through my spiky dark brown hair, trying to level it out. I slipped on my father's old tuxedo, which still looked pretty new. The thing held special value to me; it was the tuxedo my father had worn on his first date with my mother. I patted out any creases that had crept in, and when I was satisfied with the folds, looked into the greasy mirror. Here in Eleven, we really couldn't afford so many luxuries, and when our full efforts went into keeping the food on the table and the house running, little things like a shiny new mirror in my room held less priority. My reflection was distorted, but I could see that I didn't look all that bad. I had my mother's chocolate brown eyes and wheat colored skin. My eyelashes were long and almost feminine. I was tall for my age, standing at a good 5'9. I grinned, pleased with what I looked like, and turned away.

I made my way down the hallway and was greeted by my family. My father gave me a once over and smiled. "It suits you Dwayne. Who knows, maybe one day you'll find yourself a girl too, like I'd found your mother." He said. I snorted.

"Yeah, right. That's gonna happen. If there's one other girl on this planet who can match Mom, I'll sprout wings and fly away." I said. My father didn't respond, just shook his head sadly. The topic of my mother's demise still stung him.

I clenched my fists, remembering that nightmare of a day. My brother had been merely six at that time. He had been naïve and innocent; not having known the consequences of doing a wrong in our district. He'd stolen a ripe apple from the orchards, and had been caught by the Peacekeepers. They'd pulled out their guns, as I had watched in horror, and put them to his head. He'd been sobbing, wailing for my mother. I'd been running towards them, trying to reach Gabriel, when it happened.

My mother had appeared out of nowhere, barreling in front of my brother. The bullet had pierced her stomach, but that hadn't killed her. The Peacekeepers had beaten her to death for interfering with an execution. After claiming my mother's life, they'd turned to Gabriel to kill him too. That had been when my father sought to come in.

He'd assured them that being only six, Gabriel had had no intention of defying them. He'd promised them it wouldn't have happened again. After a long time of pleading and pacifying, the Peacekeepers had agreed to let Gabriel go with a punishment of being deprived of food for a month. We'd had it hard that one month, but the true blow had been that day, when they'd killed my mother. After that day, my father had had to work extra hours at the farm to provide food for Gabriel and I.

It made my blood boil just to think about it. If I could, I would take a knife and gut every single of the damned Peacekeepers as revenge for killing my mother. The Capitol needed to see what someone could do to them if they harmed our near ones.

I was yanked away from my vengeful thoughts by Gabriel shaking my arm. "Why are you so lost?" he asked innocently. I smirked. "I'm not lost Gabriel. I'm just thinking. There's a difference." I looked up at my father. I could see it in his wise brown eyes that he knew my thoughts exactly.

In an attempt to get out of the awkward moment, I coughed. "Right. I'm going to meet up with Lavender before the Reapings, so I should probably get going. See y'all there!" I called, starting off for my friend's house. Lavender lived right next door, so it probably confused my father as to why I'd be going out early to meet her. Nevertheless, he didn't argue as I walked out the door, into the open.

To my surprise, I saw Lavender waiting for me outside her house, on the porch. She looked angry and exhausted at the same time. "When, Dwayne, when will you learn to be on time? You're a whole twenty minutes late." She complained. I opened my mouth to make up some lame excuse, but she held up her hand.

"Wait, don't tell me. Did your pigeon get kidnapped by aliens? Or did the tap in your bathroom sprout claws and decide to attack you?" she asked sarcastically. I laughed, throwing my head back. It was true; I had given her these excuses at some point of time. I simply shook my head and pulled her forward by her hand. Even she couldn't help but smile a little. Lavender was a year younger than me, but looked slightly older with her long red hair and green eyes. She was pretty, no doubt about that, but she'd become so much of a sister to me over our friendship of seven years, that I failed to think of her as anything else.

I cracked a few more jokes as the two of us made our way to the Reaping square. Lavender laughed along, but there was a tension hanging in the air. Two people would be reaped today to go into the Arena and become puppets for the Capitol. _Wasn't I excited to know who they were_ , I thought sarcastically.

 **April Smith's POV:**

"Just try to calm down Amanda. Nothing's going to happen." I said in the softest voice I could find. Amanda hugged her knees tighter and rocked back and forth, shaking her head vigorously. The tears flowed from her eyes in a steady stream, and her eyes themselves held a kind of insanity. They looked like broken glass, which I supposed described what we were ourselves.

"They'll take us away! April stop them, please! Don't leave!" She cried, grabbing my arm. I pulled her into a hug and patted her back. "They're not taking me away Amanda, no one's taking me away. Just please, stop crying." I said. Amanda didn't heed my request as she continued to sob into my shoulder. I stayed there, stroking her hair, muttering soothing words.

"Is she okay? April, is Amanda alright?" Mr. Wright appeared in the doorway, out of breath. He leaned against the frame, his eyes searching my face for any signs of distress. I gave him a look that I hoped told him to come over and calm Amanda down instead of getting her hyped up.

He understood. He walked over to the two of us, where Amanda was still quivering in my arms. He gently extricated her from my hold and wrapped her in his embrace. He kissed the top of her head and ruffled her hair. "It's okay Amy. You're alright. Just calm down; no one's going to take you away while I'm here, okay?" he said. I smiled. Mr. Wright had a way of calming Amanda down that even I couldn't do.

He waited until Amanda's tears had stopped and she was more or less in a steady state. He pulled away and gave me a serious look. "April, get yourself and Amy ready. It's Reaping day, and I want the two of you to have a good breakfast before going to the Reaping Square. I nodded at him as he walked out the door, shutting it behind himself. I turned back to Amanda.

"Come on Amy. We're going to put you in a nice dress. You'll like that, won't you?" I pulled her off her bed by her shoulders and led her to the closet. I picked out a pale blue dress which went down till her knees and held it up in front of her. "Yes, this'll be very nice, don't you think? Blue is your favorite color, isn't it?" I asked. She gave me a weak nod.

I laughed and led her to the washroom. I gently pushed her in and threw her the dress. I closed the door and waited for her to come out.

I bit my lip, remembering the incident that had been responsible for Amanda's state. The two of us were twins, and had been living a very good life until last year. That was the year we'd been orphaned. And the year that Amanda lost her mind.

It had been a normal day when everything fell apart. Our parents had been going about their regular business; Amanda and I had been reading. It had happened so suddenly. Three giants of men had broken in, waving guns about. They threatened my parents with their weapons, demanding money. My parents had defiantly refused. As a punishment, they'd turned their gun on me and fired, but Amanda had taken the bullet in her shoulder.

I didn't know what happened after that. One minute we were standing there, the next, Amanda was screaming her head off. I had watched in horror as one of the men severed my mother's head from her body. Amanda completely snapped, as my father yelled at us to run away. She'd grabbed my hand, and together, we'd jumped out a window, just as the men raised their sword to my father's heart. We'd kept running until we had collapsed, Amanda bleeding and I crying. We'd passed out and woken up in the hospital two days later. We'd been informed of our parent's murders; the people had been notorious thieves who had plagued but many households, but none so drastically. We'd been left to fend for ourselves. The incident had not only taken out parents away from us, but also Amanda's sanity.

We had been taken in out Math teacher, who just so happened to be a family friend. Mr. Wright was a bachelor who treated us like the daughters he'd never had. We'd been trying to heal ourselves, and Mr. Wright was the catalyst.

Amanda threw the door open and came out, looking very pretty in her dress. She did a small twirl which had me laughing. "You look beautiful, Amy. Sit down there, would ya'? I need to get ready too." I gestured towards the bed. Amanda obediently sat down and begun playing with the hem of her dress, suddenly interested in the weaving. I took out a similar white dress for myself and rushed into the bathroom. I quickly threw it on, not having wanted Amanda to be alone for too long. She smiled as she saw me. I had to say, the dress really did compliment my shoulder-length jet black hair. I had dark eyes, almost black, and was a little small for my age. Amanda and I looked very similar, though she was a little taller than me. I had been told many a times that I looked younger than my age because of my childlike features.

About an hour later, the two of us were heading out the door, Mr. Wright in tow. He'd fed us a good breakfast, which calmed my screaming nerves. Today was Reaping day. The chances of either of us being reaped were less, but in Panem, who knew what could happen?

The walk to the Reaping square took a while, but when we reached there, I quickly escorted Amanda and myself to the thirteen-year-old girl's section. As I waited for our escort, I felt someone's hands cover mine from behind.

"Guess who?" A voice called. I laughed. "Tyler, next time you wanna sneak up on someone, change your damn voice." I said snarkily. The hands removed themselves from my eyes and I turned to see Tyler standing there with a disappointed expression on his face. I smiled.

"Get on to your section, would ya?" I gave him a gentle shove, and he smirked. He punched me lightly on the shoulder before running off. I shook my head. I'd get him later for that.

"Welcome!" The voice of our escort Radiance cut through the commotion of the Square. Immediately, everyone quieted down. She smiled. "I love this place! Y'all know just what I want! Without much further ado, let's get to the tributes, shall we?" She said, grinning wider due to her surgically widened mouth. She looked absolutely ridiculous, what with her butterfly shaped dress and butterfly shaped headgear, but I decided to ignore it. It didn't matter to me what she looked like, as long as she didn't call out either mine or Amanda's names.

"Dwayne McCane!"

I had so completely zoned out that I hadn't noticed her skip over to the boy's bowl. A boy stepped out from the sixteen year old section and started walking towards the stage. I could see the shock in his eyes, but he was doing a good job of hiding it. As he mounted the stage, he actually turned and smirked at a camera. This seemed to please Radiance.

"Well, young man, do you want to say something to your district?" she asked. The boy took the microphone from her. "Well, all I want is the best wishes from my district. That's all I need to win the Games." He said. Radiance squealed like a little girl and threw and arm around Dwayne. "Isnt he just adorable!?" she addressed the crowd. Her response was silence.

She shrugged and headed over to the girl's bowl. I reached for Amanda's hand and squeezed it. She stared ahead with a blank expression on her face.

"Amanda Smith!"

A scream emanated from Amanda's mouth as she collapsed on the ground, shivering. She covered her ears, screaming. The people around us backed away. I wrapped one arm around her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Amanda, no! It's okay! You're gonna be fine! Nothing's gonna happen! Just relax!" I cried. It was of no use. I looked up at Radiance with a glower. "I volunteer as tribute!" I yelled the words before I could even consider what I was doing. But I didn't regret my decision. Amanda had saved my life the day our parent's had lost their lives. I was only returning the favor.

"Let's go!" a gruff voice said from behind me. I looked up to see a Peacekeeper standing there. He bent down and picked me up by my arm, dragging me away from Amanda, who was sobbing, though her yelling had ceased. She didn't seem to have any idea that her sister had just volunteered for the Hunger Games.

"My my my…. What a load of drama that was! May I ask you name, miss?" Radiance asked. I stared ahead, but answered briskly "April Smith."

She laughed and said something about me wanting to save my sister, but when she asked me to speak, I simply ignore her. I shook hands with my District Partner, who seemed a little taken aback by the turn of events. As we were led to the Justice building, he pulled me back and whispered into my ear. "That was brave." He said simply.

I didn't see him again, as I was ushered into the waiting room. No sooner had the door closed than Mr. Wright and Amanda threw it open again and walked in. Mr. Wright enveloped me in a hug, while Amanda simply cried.

"April leaving me! April please don't go! Please don't leave me!" She screeched, grabbing my shoulders. "I'm not going to leave, Amanda. I'll come back to you. It's a sort of vacation, where I meet many people. I'll come back very soon, don't you worry!" I said as cheerfully as I could. I couldn't help but feel a little sour about lying.

"April, I don't even know what to say. What you did out there was one of the bravest things I've ever seen." Mr. Wright said as he bent down to my eye level. "You're a fighter April. You've overcome things other children couldn't dream about. Use that. The Games won't hurt you if you refuse to succumb to them. Stay strong. For us. For Amanda." He said. I could feel my tears threatening to spill, but held them in. I bit my lip and hugged him again, crying into his shirt. Amanda joined our embrace.

"Alright, time's up!" The Peacekeeper said. Reluctantly, the two of them went out, Mr. Wright holding Amanda by her shoulders. The Peacekeeper hadn't even fully closed the door when Tyler ran in. He crashed into me with a hug. I noticed he was shivering.

"You're not gonna die. Please, promise me this one thing April. You're not going to die." He said softly. Tyler and I had been friends since the age of three, and I didn't know of anyone else other than Amanda and Mr. Wright for whom I cared more. I patted his back.

"Yeah, I'm going to promise you that when I'm going into the Games. Grow up Tyler. There's no way I'm coming out alive." I said. He pulled away and looked at me with a hard expression. I'd never seen him like this. "That's nonsense. You're coming back and I know it." he said sternly. I laughed, feeling a tear make its way down my cheek. Tyler hugged me again, which brought on a torrent of tears from my eyes.

"Time's up!"

 **Dwayne McCane's POV:**

"Dwayne'll come back, right?" Gabriel asked my father. He was clearly trying his best not to cry, but wasn't succeeding all that much at it.

"Yeah Gabey. Dwayne ain't gonna be gone for too long." I said, putting an arm around my brother. My father looked at me with red eyes. "Listen Dwayne. You've got talent. Just stay away from the career pack. You can get some sponsors by your looks. You know you're a good-looking chap. Just act likeable and-"

I cut him off with a laugh. "Dad, jeez. Relax, would you? Considering this may be our last moments with each other, why don't you just tell me how much you love me and all that nice stuff?" I said. My father pulled me into a tight embrace, squishing little Gabriel between us.

"I love you son. And I refuse to lose you. I won' t lose you after your mother, I simply won't" He said. I nodded; I didn't want to talk, in case I started bawling.

"Please come back Dwayne." Gabriel squeaked as we broke our hug. I kissed the top of his head. "Don't worry champ. I'm coming back. It aint so easy to take out Dwayne McCane, I'll tell you that." I said. He held up what looked like a bandana. I smirked and tied it around my forehead. "Is this my token?" I asked. Gabriel nodded.

The door flew open and a Peacekeeper appeared, telling us that the time was up. My family gave me one last hug before disappearing. I watched them go, and I wondered whether or not this would be the last time I saw them.

My next visitor was expected. Lavender yanked me into a hug so tight, I thought she'd snap my ribs altogether. She was crying, and I attempted to soothe her by rubbing her back. "Hey, it's okay. Really, don't you trust me a bit? I can do this Lav." I said softly.

She pulled away. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, but she wiped them away. "I know you can Dwayne. That's not what I'm worried about. But once in the Games, you'll turn into a monster. No one leaves the Games the same. I'm going to lose my best friend one way or another."

I could feel the surprise wash over my face. I held her hand and gave her another hug. My voice was quieter than I'd thought possible.

"I won't turn into a monster Lav. I don't care what happens. But if I'm going to come back, it's gonna be the same Dwayne I leave as."

~.~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Tun tun tuuuuuuun! So? How was it y'all!? Only two Reapings left! One and Three! And then the Games aren't a far way off! I seriously can't thank you guys so much for all the reviews. I was so happy seeing each and every single one of them! They really motivate me :) Thank you to deny and Reader Castellan for these awesome tributes! :))**

 **A lot of you suggested that I should change the martial arts in the previous chapter to self-defense. So, I went back and did that. Hope it makes y'all happy!**

 **Another thing I wanted to say is that I will be having a partial sponsor system. There will be no points, because that's way too difficult to keep track of. Instead, you guys can, after the Games start, send me three different sponsor ideas for any three DIFFERENT tributes, and I will select my favorite. That being said, you can only sponsor a tribute once, so make your choice carefully. Also, you CANNOT sponsor your own tribute. Sorry, but it would be a tad biased.**

 **Do tell me what you guys thought of the sponsor system. I'm open to suggestions about improving it!**

 **Reply time!**

 **To Josephm611: Well, I suppose they do have a similarity. As for Blake, I understand your opinion. Not every tribute may catch one's eye. Hope he does as the story progresses, though! :)**

 **To Santiago. Poncini20: As you suggested, I changed martial arts to self defense. :) The reason Tawny didn't visit her in the goodbyes is revealed later on in the story. As for Blake, I respect your opinion of him. I liked Darcy too! However, Blake wasn't completely set on his new life, and had mixed feelings. Just thought I should clear that up. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **To MidnightRaven323: I actually didn't notice! Hehe. I listened to yours (and a few others') advice and made the appropriate changes in the chapter. I hope I was able to write Blake well; he really is an amazing character! Thank you so much for the suggestion! I'll keep it in mind while writing. I hope I was able to describe things well in this chapter! Hope you enjoyed! :)**

 **To lifelong potterhead: Well, I can't say anything about the tributes dying, but I can thank you for the compliment. Your support is really motivating! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)**

 **To Reader Castellan: Well, a lot of people said the same; Eva reminds them of Prim. As for Blake, I'm so glad you liked him! Like I mentioned before, I have made the changes in the chapter. Thanks for the advice! :)**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: It's okay! Any kind of review makes me feel very happy! I'm glad you liked the characters! I enjoyed your story too! Gigi's not far off! Hope you enjoyed! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: I'm so glad I was able to write her well! She's truly an amazing character! I'm also happy that you liked the tributes! Hope this chapter makes the day good too! ;)**

 **To Sab: Well, I respect your opinion of both! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **To deny: Ta da! Here's Dwayne! Hope I wrote him well! I'm so glad you liked the tributes! Hope this chapter was good; Dwayne is an amazing character! :)**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Thanks! So glad you liked them! As for the last chapter… I respect your opinion! Hope this chapter was good too!**

 **To maliceismyname: It is, isn't it! The reason for Tawny not visiting her is revealed later on. Hope the chapter was good! I can't wait to write the training myself, to be honest! :)**

 **Until next time then…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Reapings:**

 **District One:**

 **Regina Anna Pasternack's POV:**

My fingers flew furiously across the keyboard, trying to finish the program I was working on. This was one of my best projects, and I was determined to complete it. I needed to give it in by the next day, as it was. I finished typing up the last statement, just as my mother's voice rang out from the living room.

"Regina Anna! Would you stop tampering with that confounded computer already! For goodness sake, it's Reaping Day. Get ready, would you!?" she yelled.

I flinched and gently covered my ears. I hated loud noises. My mother's screams weren't as bad as sirens or fireworks, but it still made me slightly uncomfortable. I closed the program, satisfied with my work, and shut down the computer. As I got up from my chair, I couldn't help but hide a smile. True, I wasn't a born genius when it came to subjects like Math or Science, but I had a natural talent with computers.

Many people called me a 'geek' for this. I didn't really understand what that word meant, but I knew fr a fact it was something unpleasant. People in District One didn't usually have such an obsession with computer programming. That was something that was considered to be the department of the 'nerds from Three'. I shrugged as these thoughts crossed my mind. I didn't really care what all those people thought about me. I loved what I did, and nothing would change that.

I walked over to the door and slid it open a crack. I peeked out to see my mother setting up a breakfast, probably for Jakob and I, seeing to the fact that Father usually left at this time for his work at the local market. She caught my eye and smiled.

"There's my girl. Now, Regina Anna, I want you to get ready as fast as you can. This is your last year of Reaping, and I want to get this all over with. So shoo, go put on some nicer clothes." She said, adding a tiny shooing motion with her hand. I nodded. "Yes mom. Just, please, why don't you ever call me Ginny? That's what everyone calls me." I whined. She laughed.

"Regina Anna is a beautiful name. Now go." She said. I ducked back into my room and closed the door. Today was another infamous Reaping Day. Although the people here would probably rejoice. I honestly didn't understand why. What was so interesting in the Hunger Games?

The Games themselves were confusing too. Why call it a Game? A Game was something where many people played, one person won, and everyone went home. Not where twenty-three people died every year. I didn't find any pleasure in watching the Games, unlike many girls from school. There was no interest that tickled my mind, watching people mutilate others.

But then again, almost nothing I did was similar to that of the other girls in my District. Most of them trained day and night for volunteering for the Games. I, on the other hand, spent my hours teaching myself computer programming, something which had attracted me since the moment I'd been introduced to it. Other girls were obsessed with fashion and boys. I wouldn't say I cared nothing for the way I dressed, but it wasn't of top priority for me. And as for having someone in life, I had my best friend, confidant and girlfriend, Maeve Callahan.

I walked over to my closet and opened it up. I rummaged through the dresses I had neatly stacked, taking care not to ruin their formation. I chose a long sleeved beige peasant top, with a navy-blue bohemian skirt. I smiled to myself. This was one of my favorite combinations. I quickly threw them on, and added gold hoop earrings and a turquoise pendant. I found my reflection in the mirror.

The beige top nicely complemented my hip-length white-blond hair, which I tied back with a kerchief. My almond shaped gray eyes were a tad startling, and they contrasted the childlike freckles that splashed over my nose. I had a small frame, standing at only five foot four, with not much muscle. However, I had realized a long time ago that muscle wasn't everything. You needed brains, too.

Satisfied with my appearance, I walked out the door to see Jakob already eating his cereal. I sat down beside him and ruffled his hair, which was as blonde as my own. He grinned at me from beneath his fringe. "So… you nervous?" he asked. I shrugged. "I don't see why I should be. I haven't taken out those… what do you call them again?" I looked to him for the aid.

"Tessarae?" he supplied. I nodded. "Yeah, those. I haven't taken out any tessarae, and even if I am Reaped, surely someone will volunteer." I said. Jakob looked back into his bowl. "I dunno, Ginny. This year, the Academy didn't select a volunteer from the eighteen-year-old section. None of the girl's were up to the mark. They went with that seventeen-year-old girl Tamara McCarthy." He said, tapping his fingers on the table like he did when he was nervous. I smiled. "Well, as long as it isn't me, I really can't say much in the matter, can I?"

"Alright you two! We need to go. Regina Anna, you can have this snack bar in the car, we're late. Jakob, don't you dare get together with those Rock Band friends of yours. Go straight to your sections, got it?" My mother said as she shoved a snack bar into my hands before throwing open the door. I shuddered. I hated crowds and there was sure to be one in the Reaping Square. I held back, but a look from my mother got me onto my feet. I shuffled out the door quietly, eager to meet Maeve.

As it turned out, the minute I stepped out of my house, I saw Maeve running up to me. She pulled me into a hug, which I reciprocated. "I thought we were going to the Reapings together." She said, shooting a glance towards my family car. I shrugged. "I don't mind. Mom is a terrible driver anyway. The walk would do me good." I said.

"Regina…" My mother sighed. Maeve gave her an apologetic look which I didn't quite understand. I was only stating the truth. Mother was an atrocious driver; she broke speed limits like she couldn't care less. I waved goodbye to my family and started walking towards the Reapings with Maeve.

"I wonder who'll be Reaped this year. The Academy couldn't pick a girl from the Eighteen-year-old ones, you know that right?" Maeve said. I nodded. "Yeah, Jakob told me earlier. They've chosen Tamara McCarthy, right? The name sounds familiar.

"She just so happens to be the girl who you ratted out in front of the entire cafeteria in school, telling everyone that she'd been the one who broke the principle's window. She probably loathes you. Any of this ring a bell?" Maeve said. I sighed. "Maeve, you know I don't understand these fancy terms you use. Why would anything ring a bell inside my head, when there is not one present there? But if you're asking me whether or not I remember her, then yes, I do. I was being honest, and I told everyone about her. She deserved it." I said defiantly.

Maeve just laughed. "Come on Miss Back-to-honesty, we'll be late for the Reapings if we walk so slow." She gave my hand a gentle pull, which made me cringe in discomfort. I didn't like when people touched me. Nevertheless, I quickened my pace, not wanting to be late for the Reapings.

 **Almiro Fitzroy's POV:**

"Almiro-"

 _CHOP_

"Dude-"

 _CHOP_

"Listen-"

 _CHOP_

"ALMIRO WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME GODDAMIT!?" Clos jerked me away from the Dummy I'd just finished hacking. Its limbs lay scattered on the floor, a result of the damage I'd caused by my sword. I was breathing heavily from the practice. I'd been at this since six in the morning. I wasn't the best with swords, so I needed to perfect my skills. I glared at Clos.

"What?"

He sighed. "Almiro, give me one reason. One goddamned reason why you need to do this." He put a hand on my shoulder. I turned away. "I'm not the best with a sword and you know it. I need to-"

"No Almiro. I meant the volunteering. You don't need to volunteer. So why?"

I put down the sword and sighed. I didn't answer him. He didn't stop. "Is it because of Minnie? You wanna avenge her or something? Do you wanna kill people? You wanna bring money to your family? You wanna die!? Answer me!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled, turning around sharply to face him. His eyes grew wide at my sudden outburst. "I don't know…" I said, softer this time. "I just know that this is what I have to do." I looked down. Clos sighed and pulled me into a hug. "You don't have to do this Almiro." He said.

I pulled away. "I do Clos. You won't understand. I need to do this." I said adamantly. He gave me a small smile. "You're as stubborn as ever."

"I need to go, Clos. I don't wanna be late for the Reapings." I said. Clos nodded. "I'll see you at the square, then?" he asked. I nodded back. I could see him straining himself, trying not to convince me further of not volunteering, but he must've known it was futile. I was volunteering this year. And no one was going to change that.

As I walked out of the training centre, I let my mind wander into the realm of thoughts. I gritted my teeth. This time two years ago, my family had signed the death warrant of my elder sister Minnie. Our family was one of the poorer ones here in One. I know, One was considered to be one of the most prosperous and well-off districts. But what people didn't know was that there were still people who worked in the mines from where we got the raw materials for the gems. Someone needed to do the labor.

Our district kept those people hidden. But I knew what it felt like. My father was one of the miners. And my parents wanted out of our situation. So they came up with the simplest solution.

Minnie came under their influence and volunteered for the fifty-fifth Hunger Games. She was merely seventeen at that time. She'd broken the rules of the academy to do so. Just so that our family could get out of our poor situation.

She'd made it far. Very far. In the beginning, she'd been alone, but eventually allied herself with the pair from Nine and Six. She'd been written off as 'weak' by the career alliance, and pretty much the entire capitol. However, she'd showed up everyone, demonstrating insane survival skills. However, when it was down to the final two, she'd had to face her very own District partner, Golden Jett. He'd easily killed her, and that had been the day my elder sister had been taken away from me. Everyone saw Golden as my sister's killer, and though I hated the boy with all my heart, I knew her real killer were other people.

My own parents.

They'd forced her into volunteering. Her death had broken them, but nothing would ever make me forgive them for it. And now, I was going to go into the arena. I didn't know why, but I knew I just had to do it. I hadn't even told them that I planned on volunteering.

After Minnie's death, I'd thrown myself into training. I'd lost every last shred of the Almiro I used to be. I became closed; I never opened up to anyone. Well, almost anyone.

Clos Diaminite was not only my best friend, but he was also my partner. I opened up only to him, and my little sister Bella. In fact, the minute I rang my doorbell, it was her who opened it up. She threw her arms around my waist and laughed. "Finally! I was waiting for you Almiro!" she said. I returned her hug with a small smile and kissed the top of her head. "Bella, I need to go get ready." I said gently. Bella was the only one who heard me speak softly nowadays. She chuckled and let go.

I could see my parents coming towards me, but I veered away and headed to my room. I shut the door behind me and took out my outfit, which consisted of a silvery-white suit and denim pants. My parents had brought me this outfit two years ago, but it still fit me well. The silver went pretty well with my curly brown hair and dark brown eyes. I was tall for my age, but not huge. I had a fair amount of muscle on my arms from training every day.

I met my parents outside, and they were clearly trying not to cry. My father was a stoic man who showed no emotion, but my mother had been very fragile ever since Minnie had died. The two of them blamed themselves for Minnie's death, which was one thing I agreed with them on. I didn't give them a chance to speak. I turned to Bella and took her hand.

"Come one Bella." I said simply. I wasn't one for beating around the bush. I lived fairly close to the Reaping Square, so I only needed to walk about ten minutes. Without waiting for my parents, I walked out the door, pulling Bella along behind me. She had a little trouble trying to keep up with my pace in her flouncy white skirt; this was only her second year of Reaping.

As I came up to the Square, I could hear the buzzing noise of the chatter of the huge population of District One fill my ears. I escorted Bella over to the thirteen-year-old Girls' section and walked over to mine own. I could hear a few girls squealing like idiots in the eighteen-year-old section, and I turned to see what was so exciting.

Of course, I should have known. They were ppointing towards the stage, where Golden sat, his head buried in his hands. He was mighty popular with the ladies, both here and in the Capitol. I simply loathed him.

Our escort Levee pulled my attention away from them. She was an older woman of around mid-forties, but she'd been our escort for the last ten years. I couldn't say I was disappointed; she wasn't as ditzy as a few others, but I simply didn't care about it anymore. I waited for her to call out the name of the guy.

"August Chambers!"

As I raised my hand, I could see another boy stepping out, ready to volunteer. I could feel anger boil up inside of me. How dare this person try to steal my chance!?

I leapt forward just as he started to yell out the words.

"I Vol-"

"I VOLUNTEER!" I yelled, running out into the open. The boy turned to glare at me, and I recognized him to be Aurum Slate, the boy who'd always been jealous of me. Enraged, I punched his straight across the jaw. He fell, clutching his face, as I raced past him to the stage.

"My my, what a scene. May I have the name, dear?" Levee asked. She held out the mic to me. "Almiro Fitzroy. And I'm coming back. This isn't the last you'll be seeing of me." I said. Levee shrugged and walked over to the girl's bowl.

"Regina Anna Pasternack!"

Silence. All eyes turned towards Tamara McCarthy, the chosen volunteer of this year. To my surprise, I saw her sneering, lips sealed tight in a line. She wasn't going to volunteer.

A small, thin girl stepped out from the eighteen-year-old section. She walked up to the stage with a confused expression on her face. She didn't say anything when asked, and shook my hand gingerly. As we were escorted to the Justice Building, I could hear her heaving deep breaths, clearly trying to calm herself down.

My first visitors were not people I wanted to meet.

My parents rushed in, sobbing uncontrollably. Even my father was crying. "Why Almiro, why!? We can't lose you after we have Minnie!" My mother said. I scowled.

"Well, aren't you confident about my demise. I can win this thing you know." I said. My father shook his head. "We're just saying the truth. We didn't want to lose another child. You shouldn't have done that Almiro."

My previous anger towards Aurum went flying out the window, replaced by white-hot fury. "You're my very own parents. You should be encouraging me, instead you tell me I'll die. THIS is why Minnie died. You are her killers!" I felt my voice rising with every word. They looked shocked and hurt, but I didn't care. I gritted my teeth. "Get out."

"What!?" they exclaimed. "I said get out!" I shot back. "Just leave!"

They turned around with heartbroken expressions. "We'll always love you Almiro." Mother said softly. I didn't answer; just watched as they walked out.

Bella came in shortly afterwards, followed by Clos. They both gave me a huge hug, and I kissed Bella's cheek. "I know you can do this Almiro! You'll come back!" She said. I nodded. "You bet I will."

"Listen Almiro. Be careful. Don't be rash and don't draw attention. Stay in the background." Clos advised. I nodded. He hugged me again.

"I know you can win." He whispered.

 **Regina Anna Pasternack's POV:**

"Oh my god, oh my god!" My mother shrieked. Jakob was comforting her, but his efforts were in vain. My father just shook his head. "Anna, I'm so sorry…" he said. I looked at them.

"Why do I have to be sent in just to die?" I mused. Mother sobbed harder and Jakob gave me a sympathetic glance. "Because that's the way we do things here in Panem." He said softly. "Come here."

I stepped into his embrace and felt my father's arms around myself. I wanted to stay like this forever, wrapped in my family's arms. Unfortunately, my fate had been sealed. "Just try, will you? Try your best." My father said. They pulled away.

"Dad, you know I'm not the regular career. I don't have training and I can't fight. How will I do this?" I exclaimed. "Then stay out of fights. Run away from the Cornucopia and hide. You can do this Regina Anna, I know you can." He said. He gave me a small smile. "Ginny."

That's when I felt the tears. But before I could shed them, a peacekeeper found his way in, telling us the time was up. My family was pulled into another tight hug by my father and Jakob, before they left. The door had barely closed when it was thrown open once again by Maeve.

"She did it because she hated you! She abstained from volunteering! Now she's going around telling people you'll die in the bloodbath." She said, angrier than I'd ever seen her. She was talking about Tamara. She hadn't volunteered in order to watch me die.

"Make her pay for it, will you?" I said. Maeve grinned evilly. "Oh you have no idea.." she said. Her voice trailed off and she grabbed my shoulders. "But leaving all that aside, Ginny, you needa try your best. Just hide or something, don't fight. Please Ginny, you have to come back." She said. I hugged her. "I'll try. For you, for Jakob, for my parents. I promise." I said softly.

"That's my girl. You'll be kickin' some butt, I tell you. Try and form some alliance-" I cut her off abruptly.

"No Maeve. I won't form an alliance. I'm going to do this on my own. If I win, it'll be because of my own efforts, not because I had some huge strong person protecting me. I can do this on my own." Maeve smiled and hugged me again. "I believe that. It's crazy, but I do."

She pulled away. " You're gonna come back victorius and we'll have that life you've always wanted. Deal?" She asked. I smile, despite the tears that once again threatened to shed.

"Deal."

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Only one left! Then the train rides! I would like to thank Rosemarie Benson and santiago. poncini20 for these amazing tributes!**

 **VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! MUST READ!**

 **Right. So, first things first, I will be doing two train ride chapters and they will be in third person POV. Also, I have recieved very less bloodbath tributes, so with a heavy heart I tell you guys that your tribute might be a bloodbath. I can't help it, because what kind of bloodbath would it be if only one or two people died? Also, reviewing will motivate me to write about your character. So please review! I feel really rude saying this, but I dont have a choice. Please understand. Also, I WILL NOT have a sponsor system; its way to much trouble.**

 **So. If you're still here after that ginormous AN, I congratulate you.**

 **Reply time!**

 **to Sally the Lioness: First off, congrats on being my 150th reviewer! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! XD and I'm glad you liked them! I made a stupid mistake, so thank you so much for pointing it out. Hope this chapter was good! :)**

 **to Embers to Ashes: Indeed they did, eh? I can't say anything about the winners bit, but I'm glad you liked them! Hope you enjoyed this!**

 **to Josephm611: Well, I respect your opinion of both of them :) And I suppose it isnt unseen, but this is Panem, so tragedies arent unheard of, I guess. Nevertheless, thank you for the review and I hope you liked this chapter! I sincerely respect your thoughts :)**

 **to santiago. poncini20: Hmm, I suppose everyone has their own opinions. I will respect yours, like I've said before. I hope you liked this chapter! Do tell me how I did with Almiro; he's an amazing person and I hope I did him justice! :)**

 **to Sab: Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too! :)**

 **to Reader Castellan: I'm so glad I was able to write her well! I agree, Peacekeepers are horrible. Thanks for the compliment, hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

 **to Mystical Pine Forest: I'm glad you liked Dwayne, I liked him too. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this update!**

 **to deny: I'm so happy I wrote him well! I liked his character a lot! I'm glad you liked April. I wonder that too... *thoughtful look* Anyways, hope you liked this!**

 **to maliceismyname: Wow, I;m so glad you like him so much! I felt bad for the twins as well. Hope this chapter was good! Only one more to go! :)**

 **to AgentWriter: It's okay! I liked writing their POVs, so I'm glad you liked reading them! Hope you liked this chapter!:)**

 **to MidnightRaven323: I agree, it was cool of hi to cope up. As for April, I suppose there is a similarity. Like I've said before, I respect your opinion of April. I certainly hope you liked this chapter! :)**

 **Right. Thank you all so much for reviewing, fav-ing, following or even just reading this story. Means a lot. Really does. One Reaping left!**

 **See y'all next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Reapings:**

 **District Three:**

 **Isaac Data's POV:**

I woke up to the alarm beeping in my face. I let out a frustrated groan and grabbed the clock from my bedside. I rammed it back down onto the edge of the table, accidentally breaking it. I pushed my eyes open a tiny crack and groaned again. That was about the millionth clock I'd broken. My head fell back onto the pillow as I let sleep drag me back in.

It seemed mere minutes before someone was vigorously shaking my shoulder. "Isaac wake up! For goodness sakes, that's the tenth clock you've broken in a matter of three months! The money to buy these doesn't grow on trees, you know." I heard my mother's voice.

"Sorry Ma!" I called out, muffling my face with a pillow. She sighed irritably. "Isaac, this is the last time I'm telling you. Get up or I'll wake you up the way Aunt Tesla used to." She said. That woke me up. There was no way I was going to go through the 'waking someone up by blowing a trumpet near their ear' style waking-up of Aunt Tesla. Nuh uh.

My mother smiled, looking at my horror stricken face at the mention of my aunt. "Really now, she IS your father's sister." She said. I nodded. "Yep. Just my Father's sister who wants to give me a heart attack every damn morning." I responded. My mother laughed and reached out to ruffle my hair.

"Get ready. You've already overslept. It won't take us long to reach the Reaping Square, but I don't want to take chances. So hurry up." She ordered. With that, she stood up and planted a fleeting kiss on my forehead before disappearing into the hallway. I lazily got up after that and walked over to the door to shut it. I heard the soft click of it shutting, but I didn't let go of the doorknob. I rested my body-weight on it, closing my eyes. I took deep breaths, trying to calm my jittery nerves.

Today was Reaping Day. Today might have been the day I headed over to the place which would ultimately lead me to my death. I briefly considered jumping out the window and crossing the District boundary, escaping into the outlying jungles, but that thought went away as soon as it came. There was no way I could do that. Heck, I'd probably get caught after three meters of running. I had to go to the Reapings, whether I liked it or not. This year was my first year, but unlike many rich kids from the wealthier districts, my name was in there more than just once. I had taken out seven tessarae, being the only member of my family who could do so.

My parents worked day and night to keep our stomachs filled. My eleven-year old brother Alistair and I had never to go a day starving. So I thought I could help them out. When I'd grow out of age, Alistair would be the one taking the tessarae. My parents had initially been reluctant about letting me take out tessarae, but after a bit of convincing, they'd given in. Still, my name wasn't in there all that many times. Some of my friends had their names in more than twenty times. And mine was just in about eight times.

After comforting myself with the tiny hope that my chances of being Reaped were less this year, I let go of the doorknob. The metal surface still glistened with my sweat. I walked towards my washroom to freshen myself up. After dousing my face with water, I felt like I had properly woken up. I dried of my face and the wet parts of my hair.

I grabbed a comb and attempted to comb my messy brown hair, but gave up after a minute. I simply patted it down. I slipped on dark blue jeans and a white shirt. It was well ironed, and I was thankful for that. I was the average height for my age, standing at five foot three. The ironed clothes made me look slightly more mature than my twelve years of age. I spared a glance at myself in the mirror. My green eyes were dull, not sparkly like the one's of the people from Four. Yet, they held confidence and mirth.

People told me I was too cocky for someone my age. I supposed I was, in a way. I had a way of covering up my nervous feelings with sarcasm. It made people often annoyed with me, but it made me seem less scared than I usually was. I guess that was just my personality. A cocky twelve year old who never showed his fear.

I headed out the door to encounter my parents sitting at the four-seater table we had. Alistair was playing around with his cereal, which was probably cold. He gave me a grin when he saw me. I smirked. His front two teeth were missing, which made his smile comical.

"Hey guys." I said. I took my seat as my mother served me a bowl of cereal. As I raised the first spoonful to my mouth, I realized I was correct. It _was_ cold. We couldn't afford anything that would heat this stuff, and even if we could've, we wouldn't have spent it on such unimportant things. I felt someone take my hand and looked up to meet my mother's sympathetic eyes.

"Look here Isaac. I still feel uncomfortable with the fact that you had to take out tessarae at this tender age. But I want you to keep a clear mind. I know of many people whose children have their names in more than ten times. Your chances of being Reaped are less. Do you understand me?" she said, with a stern tinge to her voice. She sounded as though she were convincing herself more than me. Nevertheless, I smiled.

"Relax Mom. I'm not sweating it. See? Perfectly calm." I said, spreading my palms in front of them. She smiled and patted my cheek once more before getting up. My father gave me a reassuring smile before getting up once more. I turned to Alistair, who was looking at us funny. He hadn't been allowed to watch any Games, so he didn't quite understand the concept.

"Why should you be worried, Isaac?" he asked, tilting his head to a side. I laughed. "I'm not worried. Now, shut up and finish your food. I don't want to be late for the Reapings because you couldn't finish your cereal." Before he could ask me further about the Reapings, I busied myself in wolfing down my own food. I set the bowl down and got up. I stole another glance at my brother.

I would be coming back home with him. Of course I would. I had to…

Gigabyte 'Gigi' Clearwater's POV:

"Lily stop!" I yelled as my three-year old cocker spaniel licked my face. My plea was in vain. Lily practically bathed my hand in saliva.

I felt her being lifted off of me, with laughter decorating the background. I looked up to see Tara, my elder sister, holding Lily, chuckling wildly. Lily yipped and Tara let her down. Thankfully she didn't attack me again. She bounded off as I sat up on the sofa. I had woken up early today to finish an important school assignment, and had been doing just that when Lily jumped on me.

"What's that you have there, Gigi?" she asked. I held up my assignment. "School stuff." I explained vaguely. Tara rolled her eyes. "Right. Forget I asked."

"I need to finish this today. I have to submit it-"

"Gigi, you do know what today is, right?" Tara cut me off. I thought about it for a moment, and the answer hit me. My eyes widened. "Oh my gosh!" I shrieked. I leapt up, which sent my papers flying. Tara took a step back, startled by my sudden outburst.

"I totally forgot! Reaping day! God, I'm so late! Why couldn't you warn me before!?" I rounded on Tara fiercely. She let out a nervous giggle. "Relax kid. You're not _that_ late." She said. She carefully picked up my papers and stacked them on my table before turning to me again.

"Stop fretting and get ready. If you calm down, there's no way we'll be late." She said. She found her way to the door and closed it behind her. I stood in my place for a moment, unmoving. Then, shaking my head, I headed over to my wardrobe. To my pleasant surprise, I saw my Reaping outfit lying in wait for me on my bed. Tara must've taken it out at night. I smiled.

I slipped on the dark blue dress which fell to my knees. The blue greatly complimented my fiery red hair. I looked a lot like Tara with my freckles and green eyes. Unlike her tall athletic figure though, I was short for my age and skinny.

I grinned. It didn't matter. I made sure people noticed me. Many people I'd met had brushed me off, letting me know what they thought of me. Somehow, I didn't care. People could think what they wanted to about Gigabyte Clearwater. I didn't pay them any heed.

If one asked around about me, they'd find themselves with a description of a loud, fiery girl who made herself heard even in the noisiest of places. My height and small stature aggravated my desire to be heard. I refused to be ignored by people. If they ignored me simply on the basis of my stature, I made sure to be extra loud the next time I spoke to them. That usually got their attention.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't have that much of a tragic background. In fact, no one in my district usually did. Sure, there were some rebellious cases, but I was far from them. The only thing that stood out in my background was the fact that I had been suspended from school for about seven months when I'd been in seventh grade. Reason? I'd hacked into the school's database to give myself straight A's. Could one blame me?

I laughed as I remembered my teacher's face when she'd found out. She'd gotten as red as a tomato. I'd felt no regret. This little act of mine had made me the talk of the school for at least a year.

A knock on my door brought me back to reality. I opened it to see my mother standing there with an amused expression on her face. I raised an eyebrow. "Your friend's here." She stated. My face lit up instantly. I ran past her and to the door. There stood my best friend, grinning.

"Jaymee!" I laughed, throwing my arms around her in a hug. She reciprocated it, laughing too. I pulled away. "Glad you came! I was just coming out!" I said. Jaymee didn't say anything, simply started walking in the direction of the Square. "See ya later Mom, Dad! I'm going to the Reapings with Jaymee!" I called back as I ran forward to catch up to her. I didn't wait for any responses.

"So. Who do you think it'll be?" I asked. Jaymee shrugged. "How'm I supposed to know? She said, adding a shrug. She got a dreamy look on her face. "I hope it's someone cute. Like that boy from last year." She said. I rolled my eyes. "Dane Evans?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded enthusiastically. I shook my head.

"Gods Jaymee. You and your girly quirks. And you do know he's seventeen and lives in District Five, right?" I said, knowing it would have no effect on her. She simply shrugged again and looked up, sighing. I laughed. "Right. Dream on, girl. Dream on." I told her.

I wasn't a fan of the games, in fact, I could've given less of a poop about them. But I remembered last year. The tribute from three was a chap I'd personally known. He'd been killed by the male tribute from Two, a boy called Stefan O'Brian, if I remembered. As much as I'd been creeped out by the way Dane Evans had tortured the boy from Eleven, I'd been happy to see him kill Stefan. In fact, if after the tributes from my district I wanted for someone to win, it was Dane.

Without realizing it, I found myself in the Square. I led myself and Jaymee towards our section, but just as I was about to step into the crowd, someone shoved me from behind. I spun around with a cry and found an older boy trying to run to his section. I wasn't about to let that happen.

"HEY!" I yelled, grabbing his sleeve to stop him. He stopped and turned to face me. He was clearly older than me by a few years, but I didn't let that stop me. I stood on my tiptoes to get to his eye level. "just WHAT do you think you're doing!?" I demanded.

"Gigi…" I heard Jaymee's voice warning me. I shrugged her off. The boy seemed surprised. "Uh.. sorry. Didn't see ya' there." He tried to amend. I glared at him. "Well, next time you walk, open those damned eyes of yours and watch out for people. This happens again and my fist is gonna be in that disgusting face of yours!" I pushed him back. Clearly surprised by my actions, the boy stumbled off.

I didn't say anything else as our escort Juliana Bling skipped up to the podium. Her hair was dyed with an explosion of colors and her clothing was as close to a rainbow as possible. She was young, early twenties. Her goal was to make everyday 'as bright as can be!'

"Hello District Three! Welcome to this year's Reapings! I won't waste time. I think we all want to see who this year's tributes are, eh? Let's start with our beautiful ladies!" she walked over to the girl's bowl. I could feel my heart speed up. Please don't say my name… please don't say my name… please don't say-

"Gigabyte Clearwater!"

My arms dropped to my sides. I could feel my eyes growing wide. But strangely, the shock was gone as fast as it had come. It was replaced by anger. I stepped out of my fifteen-year-old section, and stood my ground firmly. If I was Reaped to go into the Games, I was going to get this god damned thing over with.

I stomped over to the stage and climbed up. "Do you want to let our crowd know something?" Juliana asked me. I took the microphone from her. "Yeah, I do. I just wanna say that this year, everyone is gonna remember my name. Gigabyte Clearwater will be on everyone's minds! I'll be remembered, just you see!"

I could feel my voice rising with every sentence. Juliana smiled and patted my back. She walked to the boy's bowl and brought out a name.

"Isaac Data!"

Silence. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, carefully, a small figure stepped out from the twelve year old section. I felt a pang of sympathy. The boy had been clearly crying, but as he made his way towards the stage, I saw him rapidly wipe his face clear of the tears. He put on a smirk as he came to a stop beside the escort, who held out her mic to him. I expected him to stay silent, but instead, he surprised I'd say everyone by taking it. "Well, I wouldn't underestimate me because of my age. I can surprise everyone, I assure you." He said. Juliana laughed, but it wasn't teasing. She actually was encouraging him.

We shook hands, and were led into the Justice building by the Peacekeepers.

As I waited in the room, I surprisingly found myself strangely at peace. I wasn't sobbing, or trying to console myself with empty words that I would come back. I fact, what scared me most was my indifference towards everything. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't care so much about winning. In a way, I'd accepted the fact that I was going to die in the next few weeks. The only thing I truly cared about was being remembered. The girl from Seven last year, Winter Shade, was still talked about. I wanted to be like that. Even if I died, I wanted people to remember my name, to remember Gigi. I wasn't going to go down unless that happened.

My family broke my thoughts. They came in a torrent, crying and sobbing. Well, at least, my mother was. She held me close, crying into my shoulder. Tara was clinging to my father, who was looking at me with sad eyes.

"My girl… try and come back. Please, Gigi, we can't lose you. I know the odds aren't in your favor, but please, try, okay?" He said. I nodded, but I didn't mention how I surprisingly cared so less about winning. The fact that I could die within the next few days was supposed to send me into fits of wails, but I simply had one goal. To be remembered before I died.

The rest of my families' goodbyes was something similar. Tara threatened me to come back to her. Mother simply told me how much she loved me. It was when a Peacekeeper finally threw open the door that I started sobbing.

I didn't want them to go. I clung onto Tara, but they were quickly pulled away by the daunting Peacekeepers. I was left in the room alone with an outstretched hand, fingers curling into a fist. I felt my tears run down my eyes, and was about to collapse onto the floor when someone else came flying in. Jaymee threw her arms around me, shivering. I held her tightly, not saying a word. I wasn't about to pull away, and neither was she.

"You'll do this. You'll show them all. You've got the attitude and the fire. That's what a tribute needs." She said. "I may be absolutely fine with punching the guts out of people when they lie to me, but I've never killed a person. And you know what, Jaymee? I don't really care. I just want Panem to know me. To know my name." I told her, finally breaking our embrace. She still held my shoulders.

"Well then, try to have them know you as a victor." She said in a firm voice. I really appreciated her not going all teary on me. She took out something from her pocket and clasped my shirt. She pinned on what I saw was a lightning badge, and smiled at me. "Forget Panem remembering you. I want you to remember me." She said.

All I could do was laugh and cry at the same time, which sounded like a cow belching. "Time's up!" A gruff voice called, ending my goodbye session. As Jaymee turned to leave, I held her wrist. I gave her a small smirk. "I'll be sure to tell Dane." I said. She blushed deep red and gave me another hug. I didn't want to let go of my best friend, but the Peacekeeper was dragging her away from me the next moment.

As I sat down on the chair, there was only one thought on my mind.

I was going to be remembered by all.

 **Isaac data's POV:**

"I knew we shouldn't have let you take the tessarae! It's all our fault! Why Ken, why did we do this!?" Mother cried as she held me in her arms. Alistair was in the corner, crying silently. He must've realized I was going into something bad. Dad held Mom's shoulders.

"Isaac, I'm so sorry. We've been terrible parents, allowing you to take tessarae for money. I hope you forgive us." He said. A tear made its way down his cheek. That made me snap.

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT!?" I yelled, startling them. "You've been the best parents a kid could've asked for, and I thank the gods above that I had the fortune! I can't imagine being more loved, so cut out the apologizing!"

With that, I hugged them again. "I love you guys…" I managed.

"We love you too Isaac." Dad said, rubbing my back. I pulled away and he held my face. "You may not be a ruthless killer, but I know my son has the will. Ou can get the audience to like you and sponsor you. I believe in you Isaac. We all do." he said. That made me feel loads better. I was sure about the fact tha I was potentially heading to my death. I mean, what chance did I have against the monsters from One and Two? Nevertheless, my family didn't allow me to go around moping.

"Isaac will come back, yes?" Alistair asked, wiping his tears. I smiled at him. "I'll try buddy. I'll surely try. Can't make any promises, though." I said, adding a tinge of humor. It didn't work. My mother simply sobbed harder, leaning into Dad's chest. He held her close and looked down.

"Here, take this. This'll help you remember me." Alistair pushed a tiny thing into my hand. I saw, to my surprise, it was a handmade wooden house. "I made this myself." He said proudly. I grinned and shoved it into my pocket. I patted Alistair on his back and laughed, trying not to let my nervousness rule. "I'll miss you kiddo." I said. He grinned, the space between his teeth looking wider than ever.

"I'll miss you too!" He said, as though that might've speeded up my return. I looked at his hopeful face, not wanting him to know that his brother was probably never going to see his face again. I wanted this to never end, I wanted to stay with my family forever. But apparently Fate decided I hadn't been tortured enough.

Our goodbye came to an abrupt end when the Peacekeeper burst in, telling us it was time up.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: DONE WITH REAPINGS! YEAHHHH! WOO! *pumps fists in air* GODS NOW WE'RE ONTO TRAINING YEAHHH! I'm so sorry guys, but I'm really tired. I really wanted to put up this chapter, so I am. But I'll be replying to your reviews by PM. Really sorry, but I hope you understand. Guest reviews will be replied to in the next chapter.**

 **Which brings me to thanking y'all. I mean, seriously? 171 reviews!? I can't BELIEVE it! Keep reviewing, favoriting, following, and whatever you feel my story deserves! I appreciate every single review; it motivates me to write! So, yeah, sorry for the short author's note without replies. Really. Sorry.**

 **See y'all next time! :)**


	16. Train Rides: Part One

**Train Rides:**

 **District One:**

Ginny had her hands gripping her knees as tight as she could. She'd placed as much distance as possible between her District partner and herself. It wasn't because she didn't like him, but simply because she didn't like physical closeness of other people. It irked her. Her eyes had been boring into the posh carpeted flooring of the train compartment; she'd refused to even meet Almiro's eyes throughout the entire time they'd been here. Not that he'd tried to talk to her either. She really wished this wait for their mentors to arrive would end soon. She didn't like this.

Almiro, on the other hand, was glaring at the sofa in front of him so hard, one might've expected the sofa to burst into flames then and there. That was where that scoundrel Golden would be sitting, mere seconds from now. Almiro wanted nothing more than to throttle the life out of the victor of the fifty-fifth Hunger Games. Even seeing his face was enough to make Almiro's blood boil in his veins. He stole a quick glance at his district partner. The girl was short for her age with a fine bone structure. She wouldn't be all that good at hand to hand combat, though he supposed stealth and agility may have been her strength. Then again, maybe he was getting ahead of himself. However, something that he did appreciate about her was the fact that she hadn't shed a single tear. She simply stared at the floor. Usually tributes who were Reaped from Career Districts were sobbing, wailing messes. Regina Anna was clearly different.

The two tributes were torn away from their respective thoughts as the door slid open, revealing the aged face of Venus Chain, their female mentor. She had won the Thirty-fourth Hunger Games, oh so many years ago. Neither of the tributes remembered how exactly, but at the moment, it wasn't important. Venus had a kind face wrinkled with the effect of time and stress, with her auburn hair streaked with white and her blue eyes showing the wit and experience they held within them. Both Ginny and Almiro stood up, but Ginny kept her eyes on Venus' shoes. They were a deep ruby red, which went fairly well with her red dress, spotted with gray flowers. She'd stolen a fleeting glance at her face, but avoided eye-contact all the same. Ginny didn't quite understand the concept of eye-contact, and it made her mighty uncomfortable. So she avoided it. At all times.

Venus laughed. "Please dears, sit down. No need for such formalities with me." She said in a kind voice. Almiro was thankful for her. Having another one of those ditzy and crazy female victors along with Golden would have proved to be a very disturbing train ride indeed. Venus took a seat on the sofa opposite to the two, as they took their own seats. Ginny shifted even firther away from Almiro, stashing herself against the seat. The boy practically gave off an aura of darkness, which frankly freaked Ginny out.

"So." Venus began. "Almiro Fitzroy and Regina Anna Pasternack, eh? This year's tributes." She said, sizing them up. "So tell me, Almiro. What can you do?" she said, turning to the brown-haired boy first. He looked at her with those fiery eyes; if she hadn't been mentoring for the past ten years, surely she would've shrunk back. But she was used to this. Almiro was an interesting tribute, was the thought that crossed the mentor's mind. She raised an eyebrow at him, awaiting his response.

"I'm good with weapons." He stated simply. Venus laughed good-naturedly. "Dear, we're going to need a tad more than that if we plan on bringing you home." She retorted. She wasn't going to sit around and tolerate this boy's attitude. He seemed to understand, and his gaze softened just a bit. From pure iron to rock hard.

"I'm good with an axe and hammer, but I suppose my sword skills could do with some practice." He elaborated. Venus smiled. "Ahh, a modest lad, have we here? Usually the boys from this place are stuck up little jerks. But getting back on topic, I think we all know what we need to do now." She said with a wave of her hand. "But before that…" she turned to Ginny. "Regina Anna? What are your talents?"

Ginny didn't meet her eyes. She didn't want to tell her that all she knew about fighting was that it was gory and unnecessary. She took a deep breath. No, she couldn't fall apart. She needed to keep it together. She wasn't a weakling, no matter what anyone else said. "I'm fairly quick on my feet and know a good thing or two about camouflage." She said.

Venus studied the girl in front of her. She seemed petite compared to her district partner, and obviously lacked the physical strength that he had. However, like in Almiro, Venus noticed a determination in Regina Anna. The girl was strong from within. She was clearly different from the girl's who so often frequented her position. She wasn't all about beauty and fashion. She seemed quiet and pulled together. "Oh and its Ginny. I'd appreciate it if you called me that." She added. Venus nodded, then realized she probably couldn't see her face.

"Alright Ginny. So we have a stealthy person who's good with camouflage, and a brutal boy who's good with weapons. So, can I see you two in an alliance?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. The question was pretty rhetoric. However, Ginny surprised her once more by speaking up. "I'm sorry, but I will not be in an alliance with Almiro." She said. Almiro gave her a somewhat offended look, as though he couldn't imagine why she wouldn't ally with him. Ginny's mind was made up though. She'd been thinking about this ever since she'd been Reaped.

"Excuse me?" Venus asked, not sure she'd heard the girl correctly. Ginny shrugged, still not meeting her eyes. "I'm not saying allying with Almiro would be bad, in fact, it would be to my own benefit. However, if I want to win in these Games, I want to do it on my own account. I don't want to hide behind someone else's shadow and stab them in the back when the opportunity arises. If I win these Games, it'll be because I displayed the skills to do so, not because I had a skilled protector."

The train compartment lapsed into silence at her words. Venus was the first to recover. "Well then, you two will have to be trained separately, I assume. Alrighty then, Ginny, you'll be with me. Almiro, you'll be with Golden, who should be arriving here shortly-"

"No."

Two voices cut her off in unison. One belonged to Almiro, who'd jumped up from his seat in defiance. No way was he going to be trained by his sister's murderer. The other voice, as Ginny observed, belonged to a handsome young man standing in the doorway. Golden Jett looked tired, his icy blue eyes having a tinge of dark circles beneath them. His skin was pale and his usually muscular arms seemed to droop at his sides.

"You." Almiro sneered. He glared at the older boy with every bit of his hatred towards him, expecting him to show some sign of regret at what he'd done. Golden did no such thing. He simply glared right back at Almiro. "Yeah, me." He snarled.

What happened next was a blur. Venus only leaped aside as a figure leapt passed her. She didn't even have time to stop it. Almiro and Golden tumbled to the floor, a tangle of bodies. Almiro sat on top of Golden, his knee pinning the older boy down. "YOU KILLED HER!" Almiro yelled, his face red from fury. Venus screamed for an avox, which made Ginny pin her hands over her ears. She hated loud noises.

Golden brought up his fist and hit Almiro square in the jaw. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" he yelled, throwing Almiro off. "All I know is that you're standing here because Minnie is dead!" Almiro shot back. The two boys came at each other again, but thankfully, the avoxes decided to show up at the correct moment. It took two four mousy boys to hold back Almiro and Golden, who struggled against them.

"Stop it!" Venus yelled at them, making Ginny cringe away even more in a futile attempt at blocking the noise out. Once she was sure that there would be no more screaming, she entertained her curiosity by getting up from her place and walking over to where Venus was now glaring at the two struggling boys. The hate between them was so strong, Ginny could practically feel it in her bones.

"Honestly you two, you're young men now! Act you age!" Venus reprimanded. "He killed my sister. I'd rather slit my throat than train under him." Almiro spat. Venus sighed as Golden stopped struggling, violently shrugging off the Avoxes' hands. "Golden, now don't-"

Once again, Venus was cut off, but this time by someone unexpected. "I don't think you have any reason to hate Golden." Ginny said, looking at her feet. Even though she stared down, it somehow didn't seem as though she was submissive. Her voice was strong and her tone was firm. So firm, that even Almiro stopped struggling and looked at her. How could this girl say such a thing? He had every right to hate Golden. He'd killed his sister! Of course he would hate him.

"I'm not a fan of the Hunger Games, and frankly, I find them confusing . However, I did watch that year, specifically because I liked your sister. She was a unique girl, strong and unlike the others. I was rooting for her. But, in the last fight, I think it was pretty clear that Golden here killed Minnie because he had no choice. I'm also pretty sure he was crying while doing so. He'd tried, as far as I remember, to protect her in the arena from the rest of the careers. But in the end, he killed her because he wanted to come back to his family. I think anyone in his position would've done the same thing. I mean, if you, Almiro, were in his situation, I have no doubt that you'd probably behead me without blinking an eye. So I don't think you have any right to detest Golden."

Those were more words than Ginny had ever spoken to someone besides Maeve. She was still staring at the ground, but she'd meant what she said. She didn't really understand the concept of lying, and failed miserably everytime she tried to, so she always told the truth. And what she'd said now was the truth.

Golden glared at Almiro one last time, who seemed rooted to the ground in shock of what had just happened. "You don't know the first thing about who I am, and you don't know the first thing about what I go through. So keep that trap shut." Golden turned roughly and walked out of their compartment, the two avoxes following him after receiving a clear look from Venus.

Almiro too extricated himself from the grip of the avoxes, though less roughly than Golden. He turned to Ginny, an unreadable expression on his face. "You're wrong, you know?" He said. Ginny tilted her head but still didn't look up. "You're wrong about me. I wouldn't be able to kill off my district partner without blinking an eye."

 **District Two:**

Lawson desperately wanted to watch the Reapings, take in his opponents and analyze their strengths, but he knew he needed to wait. So that's what he did. He sat calmly on the couch, fingering the leather that covered their seats. Siobhan sat beside him, humming whilst twirling a piece of her wavy brown hair. She looked extremely bored, as though this was beneath her level.

A loud voice interrupted the thoughts of the tributes. "Oh my gosh, Alex, these look feisty!" Shaunya Shane's voice cackled as she and her brother stepped through the doors, into their compartment. They were closely followed by their escort, Cinder, looking ridiculous in all her strange capitolite-glory. Siobhan wanted to barf. She couldn't believe they'd gotten stuck with this crackpot as their escort, but if she thought Cinder was strange, Shaunya just threw away that with her own strangeness.

"I know you…" She said, leaning over Law, her eyes narrowed. Law shrunk back, confused as to why their mentor was acting so strange. Shaunya stuck out a bony finger and poked Law's cheek, but to his bewilderment. Then, as swift as a bird, she snatched the fruit knife lying on the table and stabbed at Law's face. Siobhan jumped away and Cinder screamed, clearly expecting the worst. Law moved his face out of the way just in time; years of training had given him reflexes fast enough. Shaunya's knife drove into the soft backrest of the sofa, and she grinned down at Law, her face merely inches from his. He could see every drop of the malice in her eyes. Her teeth were bared in a snarl which Law remembered seeing on wolves before they leaped on their prey.

"Alright Shaunya, that's enough. You're scaring 'em" Alex said, stepping up finally. He had a cheeky look on his face, and as he brushed past Cinder, she made a swooning motion with her hands, pretending to faint. Siobhan rolled her eyes. Sure, Alex was good-looking, but she had other priorities, like why their mentor seemed so deranged. Everything the people said about Shaunya being a little off seemed to be coming true.

"Aww, I just wanted to give them a welcoming gift!" Shaunya whined. Law raised an eyebrow but managed to keep his emotions at bay as Alex pulled his sister away from him. "By sticking a knife in my face? Not a very warm welcoming gift." he said. Siobhan laughed, and Alex shoved Shaunya gently down onto the sofa opposite them, proceeding to sit down himself after. Cinder occupied the armrest of Siobhan's seat, causing her to move away from her.

"Sorry 'bout that. Shaunya can be a little… straightforward sometimes. I'm sure you want to watch the Reapings, but before we do so, do tell me about your strengths." Alex said, as Shaunya lost all interest in their conversation and simply got up and walked out the door. Law and Siobhan stared after her with wide eyes, but Alex returned their attentions to himself by clearing his throat.

Law grinned. "I've trained my whole life. My mom's the mayor of Two and my Dad's the Head Peacekeeper. I'm the best fighter in the whole District. You really need anything else?" he smirked. Alex gave him a weary look. "I've heard that before, young man. Overconfidence and arrogance often leads to the careers' deaths. Nevertheless, I've heard about you, and am pretty sure you are what you say. Right then, Siobhan?" he turned to the girl.

"It's like what Law said. I'm the best female fighter in the whole district. I can kick some serious butt with a bow, I suppose." She added, feeling it necessary. Alex nodded. "Alright then. Seems we've gotten ourselves two skilled young warriors this year. Better than last year's tributes, definitely."

Siobhan jumped off her seat at this. "What did you just say? Excuse me, Alex Shane; the tribute you're referring to just so happens to be my brother, Stefan." She clarified, scowling. Alex held up his hands in surrender. "My apologies, Siobhan. I didn't mean to offend your brother. Allow me to rephrase my statement. I hope you two go further than last year tributes. Please, have a seat." He motioned toward the sofa, and Siobhan plopped down on it, still not totally satisfied. Law gave her a strange look, which he hoped conveyed 'are these people weird or what?'

"Right then. Shall we?" Alex held up the remote. Both tributes nodded enthusiastically. Alex smirked and switched on the television, and Lawson recognized the familiar symbol of Panem. He could hear Claudius Templesmith's voice burst through the speakers.

"Welcome, people of Panem, to this year's Reapings! I can say beforehand that we have some very interesting people, this year. Enjoy!"

The seal of district One popped up, and Lawson and Siobhan held their breaths as the Reapings started.

The pair from One were a little different. The boy seemed like a regular career, strong and trained. He'd obviously be in the career alliance, and would also obviously be a threat. The girl, however, was Reaped, much to their confusion. The girl seemed frail and weak, but there was something about her that stopped them from writing her off as a bloodbath.

They saw themselves in the reapings of Two. Law looked confident and proud that he was on stage. He smirked. Everyone would be viewing him as a threat. Siobhan too looked confident, but she looked a tad too cheerful, for Law's taste. Siobhan herself thought she looked a little strange, but the look of cinder's face when they ignored her was simply priceless. The two shared a grin as they saw that.

District Three produced its traditional twelve-year-old, but this bloke, though initially cried, seemed confident as he walked up to the stage. The girl was fiery and outgoing. She declared that everyone was going to remember her name, which was what labeled her as someone to watch in Law's mind. Siobhan wrote the two off as bloodbaths, but when she told this to Law, he simply shrugged and glued his eyes back to the screen.

When District Four came up, the two paid a little more attention. As the boy volunteer walked up to the stage, Siobhan let out a breath and Cinder squealed like a little girl. The boy was absolutely gorgeous, and Siobhan knew in an instant that he was going to have a pool of sponsors. He would definitely be of use to the career alliance. Law labeled him too as a threat. The girl, though very pretty, was another Reaping, and was sobbing by the time she reached the stage. Siobhan and Law exchanged looks. Bloodbath.

District Five, surprisingly showed another volunteer. The girl seemed like an angry young lady, as she stomped up to the stage in place of Diana Evans. Siobhan internally cursed her. Oh, wouldn't it have been great if she got to kill Dane Evans own sister in the arena as a payback for Stefan? Another angry twelve-year-old was reaped from the boys, and Siobhan laughed out loud. Seemed like killing the boy from Five was going to be easy.

District Six gave what both Siobhan and Law immediately labeled as bloodbaths. The girl was a scared little twelve-year-old, and was sobbing on the stage itself. The boy, though older, seemed weak and frail. Not worthy of being called a threat.

District Seven was up next. The two watched as the boy was reaped. The boy was huge, over six feet at least, with a good amount of muscle on his arms. He seemed thoughtful, as though analyzing everyone's personality with those shrewd eyes of his. He could be of value to the careers. The girl was strangely, another volunteer. She volunteered for what was presumably her disabled friend. She seemed to be a jokester, but she had a good build. She was clearly athletic and maybe even agile. Both of these tributes were threats in Law and Siobhan's minds, though the boy would probably end up in their alliance.

District Eight was simply strange. The girl was a volunteer, and law recognized her as the child of two Victors. She'd clearly had training and was vicious. She would definitely be in the career alliance. The boy, was, like the one from Seven, huge. But there was something manic about him. He made Shaunya seem angelic. He seemed to have a thirst for blood. He would be a threat.

District Nine threw up a spitfire girl who seemed like she got into fights every day. Her lip was cracked as she made her way to the stage, and she declared that she stood a fair chance of coming back. Siobhan and Law once again exchanged looks. This one would be one to look out for. The boy was muscular and strong-looking, but he seemed to be so shocked and depressed, that the two didn't really know what to think of him.

As District Ten rolled up, Siobhan could feel her nerves getting jittery. They were labeling way too many people as threats. She hoped this would be another bloodbath district. No such luck. A handsome boy was Reaped, and Cinder let out a whistle, wiggling her eyebrows at the screen. Law rolled his eyes again. The boy was clearly athletic and had a slim physique. By the good-natured way he addressed the audience, Siobhan could tell he, like the boy from Four, would be a charming and confident tribute. Law didn't say anything. The girl tried to run for it, but was caught and dragged on stage by the Peacekeepers. She was about to run again, but the Peacekeepers put a gun to who was probably her brother's head. The boy tribute made another joke and the situation was brought under control. These two would also be threat, even though the girl was only thirteen.

District Eleven came up next. The girl was a young thirteen year old, who volunteered for her insane twin sister, who collapsed and started screaming. The young girl had a fire in her, that Law knew could be dangerous. The boy, although strong-looking, was clearly weaker than the careers. He would needed to be taken care of before her turned into a threat. The two weren't exactly threats, but could very well be dangerous. Siobhan and Law both made a note of them in their minds.

The boy from Twelve was a slim bloke, tall with no muscle. He had a way with words, and smiled at the camera. He clearly wasn't a strong fighter, but he was witty, from what Law could make out. Not a threat, but not a bloodbath either. The girl, however, was clearly a bloodbath. She seemed to be a rich kid, pampered her whole life. She came up to the stage sobbing.

Alex turned off the T.V. He looked at Siobhan and Law. "So? Whaddya think?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The tributes gave each other wary glances. "I think…" Siobhan started. Law finished her sentence.

"We have our work cut out for us."

 **District Four:**

Anna couldn't stop sobbing. Kyle sat beside her, feeling a tad awkward. Comforting people wasn't really his forte. Anna held her face in her hands, tears running through her fingers and wetting the hem of her dress. She couldn't get over the shock. She didn't deserve this. She was supposed to live a quiet life with her family. Why wouldn't anyone volunteer? She knew she wasn't exactly the most loved person, but she was so kind to everyone! How could no one volunteer?

Kyle couldn't take it any longer. It was morally incorrect to let someone weeping beside you continue to do so, even if there was no way to help them. Hesitantly, he reached over and put his hand on Anna's shoulder, startling her. She looked up at him, eyes red from crying and tears streaking her pretty face. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, you shouldn't feel so bad. Maybe you actually stand a chance at this thing." He said, even though he knew he was lying through his teeth. There was no way Anna would win, but that didn't stop him from comforting her. She let out a loose sob.

"You're very kind, Kyle, but I know you're just saying that to make me feel better. There's no way I'll be allowed in the career alliance. I mean, have you seen that boy from Two? He'll clearly be the leader, and there's no way they'll take me." She said. Kyle smiled. They'd gone ahead and watched the Recap of the Reapings without their mentors, though it hadn't been easy with Anna sniffing the whole time. But even though she'd broken down, Kyle could see that she was a really sweet girl. Unlike the other careers, she didn't have a gore fetish. He opened his mouth to speak, when he was cut off by a loud laugh.

"Dang, we got ourselves a handsome lad this year, eh?" a high-pitched female voice rang out. In stepped their two mentors, Dellora Waverly and Tide Jordan. Dellora was laughing her head off, and Tide was giving the two tributes a sympathetic look. As they took their seats opposite them, Dellora winked at Anna, which made her flinch. "Pretty damsel, innit?" she said, laughing harder. "I can see you getting beheaded in the bloodbath!"

Kyle cleared his throat as Anna's eyes widened in horror. He glared at Dellora, who was now crying because of her laughter. Tide nodded at Kyle. "Yes alright Dellora, I think that's enough. We don't want to scare the tributes off. They'll be stuck with us for the next few weeks." Tide said. He was a young man of thirty-three, with auburn hair and kind green eyes. Dellora, on the other hand, was younger with her twenty-four years of age, with dyed green hair and blue eyes. She'd gone completely capitolite, and gotten tattoos all over her arms. She frankly looked creepy.

"Okay then, let's start simple, shall we? Train together or separate?" Tide asked. Kyle didn't even look at Anna before answering. "Together." He said firmly. The, he looked at Anna sheepishly. "That is, if you wanna." He added. Anna looked incredulous. "Why would you want to train with me!?" she exclaimed. She couldn't think of a single reason why a strong contender for the victor would agree to train together with her, but she was glad. Kyle was her only connection to home.

"You're just about the last memory of Home I have left. I'm not about to abandon my district partner." He replied, smiling. Anna simply couldn't believe it. She couldn't manage to say anything. She'd regarded Kai as a cold ruthless career, but as it turned out, he had a loyal side too. "Wow, we got a nice cutesy bunch, eh?" Dellora smirked, slinking further back in her seat.

"But the only thing I'm wondering," Kyle began, turning back to Tide, completely ignoring Dellora, "is why no one would volunteer for Anna. I mean, there must've been at least one qualified girl."

Dellora responded by laughing yet again. Anna looked at Tide, confused. She refused to break down and cry again; she didn't want to seem weak. Kyle just pinched the bridge of his nose at the sight of his strange mentor. Tide shot Dellora a look, but didn't say anything to her. He simply turned to Kyle and Anna. "Um, sorry about her." he said softly.

"As for your question, Kyle, I'd thought it to be a tad obvious. The answer, boy, is yourself."

If the two tributes felt confused before, they were completely baffled now. "What do you mean, the answer's me?" Kyle asked, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm. Tide smirked, but it wasn't a Dellora-style creepy smirk. It was a playful one.

"Honestly Kyle. Everyone's seen you in training. A girl would have to be out of her mind to volunteer when you were her contender."

Silence was the response. Tide was basically telling the tributes that Kyle stood a fair shot at becoming the victor, and that the said shot was non-existent for Anna. He seemed to realize this too, for he quickly added "Oh don't worry Anna. I'm sure you have plenty of skills to show once we start training."

Once again, the tributes said nothing. Kyle's head was dipping low, so no one could see the smirk that formed on his features. He knew, of course, he was a strong contender for the victor's title. And being told so by his mentors just confirmed it. With his years of training and charm, Kyle could see himself being handed the victor's crown. Not one tribute seemed to be threatening enough, with the possible exception of the boys from Two, Seven and Eight. Kyle had quickly dismissed the idea of the psychotic boy from Eight being in their alliance, but the one from Seven seemed valuable. But Kyle's real problem was the one from Two. He seemed leaderlike, but Kyle wasn't about to let anyone snatch away the position of the leader of the careers. That was reserved for only the strongest tribute, and Kyle knew for a fact that that was himself.

Anna looked at Kyle's face. He seemed to be smirking under those bangs of his. She found this a little strange, but her attention was quickly drawn away by Tide and Dellora getting up from their seats. "Alright then, we'll see you again tomorrow? Bright and early guys, we got a big day ahead of us." Tide said. He gave the two a once-over and walked out, followed closely by Dellora, who was sneering to herself. That lady seriously creeped Anna out.

"Kyle, how do you know the career alliance will have me? The leader's gonna be that huge boy from Two, and I don't think he'll want me." Anna said, unsure of speaking. Kyle looked up, his smirk still visible. "Anna, the careers have to obey their leaders. And I say that we have you. So we will have you. You don't needa worry." He clarified. Anna fingered her hair, but didn't say anything. She had no doubt that Kyle would be getting sponsors, but the boys from Four usually weren't the career-leaders.

Nevertheless, she smiled at him. "Right. So I guess we're allies?" she asked. Kyle laughed. "Yeah, I guess we are." He replied.

 **District Ten:**

"Just calm down, would ya?" Colt asked. Nova was pacing the hallway, muttering furiously under her breath. Colt sat on a chair at the dining table, his head relaxing casually on the palm of his hands. Nova looked up at him for a moment before resuming her pacing. Frustrated with this, Colt got up from his place and walked over to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her so that she faced him. Not harshly, but enough to stop her.

"Nova. Just calm down. If you get all hyper and tensed up, it won't do you any good in the arena." He said, bending down to her eye-level. Nova stared back at him with her big, childish eyes, worry evident in them. Colt smiled and patted her cheek. "Colt, I'm going into the Games. Tell me one damn reason I shouldn't be worried. And the bloody mentors aren't here yet!" Nova exclaimed, shrugging Colt's hands off.

He responded by simply laughing. His heart was threatening to hammer out of its ribcage, but he kept his cool. Going insane from stress wouldn't be helpful at all. He needed to stay calm. "Well, I think we can use that to our advantage." He said, adding a wink. Nova gave him a confused look, but let him take her hand nonetheless. He led her over to the dining table, where delicacies of more sorts than the two had ever seen were laid out, arranged in a grand manner. Colt grabbed what Nova recalled learning as a muffin and held it out to her. She turned her face away. Colt grinned. "Come on… you won't know how good it is until you try it…" he coaxed. Nova turned to face him, unsure of this strange but tasty-looking new dish.

Slowly, she opened her mouth. Colt grinned wider and let her take a bite. The soft cake seemed to melt inside Nova's mouth; the cream was sweeter than anything she'd ever had before. She'd grabbed the muffin from Colt's hands and devoured it before he could say anything else. He stared at her for a moment, after which he burst out laughing. "See? Told you you'd like it." he said.

Nova couldn't help but look at the other items laid out on the table. Colt followed her gaze, and smirked. Swiftly, he picked up some icing from a cake nearby and rubbed it off on the tip of Nova's nose. This unsurprisingly startled her quite a bit, and she stepped away from him. On realizing what he'd done, she stuck out her tongue and attempted to lick the icing off the tip of her nose, being grandly unsuccessful at doing so. Colt couldn't help but laugh.

Nova joined in and took some icing from the same cake on her finger, wiping it off on Colt's cheek. She doubled over in laughter when she saw Colt's awestruck expression. He stayed still for a moment, but then grinned deviously and lunged forward. He grabbed Nova by her arms and drove his fingers into her waist, tickling the living daylights out of her. She was giggling uncontrollably, Colt laughing in the background.

Needless to say, when the door opened up to reveal the mentors, they were greeted by a fairly strange sight. For a moment, they wondered whether the tributes of this year were entirely sane or not. No one till now had been seen laughing and tickling the other when they'd just been reaped for the Games. The boy had icing on his cheek, the girl on her nose. If they didn't know better, the mentors would have said they'd gotten a pair of siblings as tributes this year.

On seeing their mentors, Colt and Nova calmed down and hastily wiped off the icing from their faces. Colt graciously took a bow. "Masters." He said in an extremely old-fashioned way. Nova had lost all of her mirth from the previous moments, and was glaring coldly at the mentors, sizing them up.

Kay Deers was a middle-aged woman; she'd won the twenty-eth Hunger Games. She was an excellent Mentor, and had led a few tributes to the titles. Nova and Colt found themselves thanking their stars for having her. They couldn't say the same for the other. Stark Penber was a relatively younger man in his thirties, but he was way creepier than Kay. While she looked at her tributes with understanding and sympathy, he regarded them coldly.

They took their seats on respective couches, as Nova and Colt sat on chairs. The awkward silence was broken by Colt. "Dang, this feels like a Job interview. I half-expect you guys to swipe out our biographies and go 'Yes Mister Colt, you have been found guilty of multiple cases of window-breaking. This may affect your job. What do you have to say in this matter?'" he said in a formal tone, deepening his voice considerably. Kay laughed at his statement, while Nova and Stark just continued to stare at each other. She didn't trust him, and it was clear he returned the feelings.

Stark cleared his throat. "Right. So, should we get started?" he asked, looking at Colt and Nova through his bangs. They didn't reply, but simply nodded.

"I think we should start with picking out the threats." Kay stated, leaning forward. Colt thought back to the Reapings they'd watched, trying to single out anyone who could be a threat. Other than the careers, no one came to mind.

"Well, there is certainly the guy from Seven, and possible the one from Nine." Nova put it. Colt looked at her, surprised. She seemed so tough for her age. Already planning out targets for killing, while Colt's stomach turned at the mere thought of murdering someone. Stark nodded. "Yeah, those two stood out, along with the girls from Five and Nine. Those two are spitfires, and probably have the determination in them to make it far."

Stark gave them a look that conveyed business. "Listen up carefully. Before we start training, I want to make something very _very_ clear. Do _NOT_ attract the attention of the Careers. Keep in the shadows and merge into the background. Act all likeable and nice at the interviews, that'll get you sponsors. But don't make yourself a target for the Careers. Got it?"

Colt and Nova exchanged glances. They knew why Stark was telling them this of course, it made sense to be giving this advice. They looked back to him and nodded. "Yeah, we get it." Colt put in. Stark sat back, a satisfied smile on his face. "Good then. Only one question remains, doesn't it?" he sneered. "Together or separate?"

Once again, the two tributes glanced at each other. They'd not spoken of this, but it had been done all the same. Kay could see the understanding between them as they turned back to their mentors and spoke in unison.

"Together."

 **District Twelve:**

Blake stared on as their supposed 'mentor' gazed at his half-filled bottle of liquor with unbound interest, his gray eyes following the swishing motion of the amber-colored liquid inside. He shifted in his chair to get the guy's attention, but it was in vain. He simply ignored them. Dielle had excused herself a while ago, not too long after they'd finished with the Reapings.

"Aren't you going to help us?" Evangeline asked, her voice shaky. She'd been crying when they'd entered the train, but quickly stopped. She knew in her heart that crying would be of no use. So she pulled it together and tied a bow-tie on top, keeping her fears at bay. Though she tried to control her thoughts, she couldn't help but think of the arena. In the interview that had been broadcasted after the Reapings, Head Gamemaker Bruce Heathers had announced proudly to the whole country that this year's arena would be unforgettable. Evangeline wondered what kind of surprises and monstrosities lay in wait for them.

She was quickly shaken out of her thoughts when Blake cleared his throat. He scowled at Haymitch Abernathy, Victor of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, full-time professional jerk. "By this time, the other mentors would have formulated a strategy and started discussing targets in the arena. We, on the other hand, are sitting here watching you admire your drink. Care to explain why?" he asked, clearly annoyed. Haymitch looked up with an innocent expression.

"Oh, were you talking to me?" he asked, putting a hand on his chest. Evangeline knew he couldn't be more than Twenty-Five, but drinking had caused him to look at least ten years older than his age. Blake rolled his eyes. "Oh, no, not at all. We were just addressing the twenty other mentors we have over here." he retorted, getting tired of Haymitch.

The older man sneered and sat forward, his eyes unfocused due to the consumption of so much alcohol. He raised a finger at Blake, which was shaking so badly, Blake wanted to reach out and steady it. "Listen up, boy. I would be training you if I thought it would be of any use. This one's clearly a bloodbath, and while you have the charm and possibly the brains, you definitely don't have the skill to make it too far in the Games."

Eva shrunk back into the sofa. Blake turned to look at her at the movement, and Eva stole a glance his way. She'd been expecting some sympathy, or some understanding. She was dead-wrong. Blake's look was cold and unforgiving, as though she'd done something to mortally wrong him. She let a whimper at his mean expression, but stayed quiet. Blake wanted to glare at her more, but he decided this wasn't the time. He knew she was one of those pampered kids, living a posh life. Even her 'best friend' Tawny disliked her. He'd caught the girl one day going around telling everyone how stupid Evangeline Scott was. He couldn't believe how happy and worry-free her life was, while he had to worry every day about having enough food for the next.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. This wasn't the time. He turned back to Haymitch.

"You can't judge us since you don't know us. Well, me. I don't really know about her." Blake stated, looking aloof. Haymitch laughed groggily. "Really? Why would I think you have any talents? You, girlie, burst into tears in the Reapings and your eyes are still red. You, boy, seem to have no talents other than a pretty voice. And I'm supposed to believe you're competitors for victors?" he said tauntingly.

Blake narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's sort of the point isn't it? You're supposed to have us hone whatever talents we have? And let me tell you, Haymitch Abernathy, I have talents. I deal with drunk Peacekeepers every day, and it takes talent to keep them at bay when they get handsy." He snapped. Haymitch smirked.

"Alright then. You want me to be your mentor? Fine. I'll be your mentor." He said, leaning back into the couch. Evangeline, who had been watching this exchange with wide eyes, now took some interest in the conversation. This was very good. Haymitch agreed to help them!

"Tell me your weaknesses."

Blake and Eva looked at the mentor like he'd just said "Go shoot the President of Panem". Evangeline glanced once more towards her district Partner, but he seemed to be ignoring her completely. "Um, aren't you supposed to be asking our talents first?" Blake asked. Haymitch let out a drunken laugh, which made Blake doubt the things this guy was saying.

"Boy, I know what I'm doing. In the arena, it's staying alive that matters most. Your strengths don't get you killed. Your weaknesses do. Know how to control your weaknesses, and you don't die. Don't die, and you stay alive. So, what are your weaknesses?" Haymitch explained. Blake and Eva didn't say anything for a moment, taking in what he'd said.

Blake spoke first. "Well, first of all, I haven't had any formal education." He said. Haymitch nodded thoughtfully. Blake took this as a cue to continue. "And I suppose I'm not a human giant like those boys from Eight and Two. Even the ones from Seven and Four seem pretty huge. And the boy from One seems strong too." He ended.

Haymitch grinned, clearly impressed. "Wow, kid. You may just have some potential in you. So, not physically too strong and illiterate. What about you, girlie?"

Eva took a deep breath. "Well, I'm really bad at swimming, and I simply can't handle a small knife." She said in the same manner as Blake had. He cast her an angry look, to which she responded by looking away from him. Haymitch sneered internally. Sure, his tributes had been honest. But he'd figured out more weaknesses than they'd let on.

Blake clearly disliked Eva. He had some idea why. The boy, from what he figured, lived in the Seam. And probably lived an extremely rough life too. He'd said he dealt with drunk Peacekeepers, so that probably meant he was in the black market. Eva, on the other hand, clearly had a well-off family and was probably pampered by her parents. A rich kid, Eva was bound to be envied by Blake. _Jealousy_ , Haymitch though.

Eva was unsuspecting and naïve. She didn't understand the true horrors of the Games. She seemed oblivious to Blake's hatred towards her, looking confused every time he glared at her. Haymitch regarded the two children sitting in front of him with cold eyes. He'd gotten so used to hearing the cannons that signified the death of the Twelve tributes. Last year's boy had been a bloodbath, and though the girl had made it out of the bloodbath, she'd quickly been killed by the boy from Two. He didn't want to hear the cannons too soon this year.

 **District Five:**

Evana let out a frustrated sigh. "Will anybody talk!?" she cried out suddenly, making everybody at the table jump. Frankie glared at her. "Shut your trap, lady. Not everyone is a complete blabbermouth like you." She snapped. Evana looked at her, offended.

"Young lady, I'm simply trying to help you. If no one talks, we won't be discussing any strategy! Do you want that?" she said. Frankie just rolled her eyes and looked away. "Whatever."

Raymond picked at the tablecloth in front of him sizing up the people surrounding him. Aaran Surge, nicknamed the 'Phantom Menace' sat opposite him, taking in each and every detail of his tributes. Dane Evans was relatively less creepy, but the bloke seemed simply broken, detached. He stared listlessly at the plastic fruit bowl in front of him. Evana watched everyone as though they were some extremely boring T.V show. Lastly, his district partner, Frankie, seemed to be wanting to murder the mahogany tabletop; she was glaring at it so hard. He was slightly surprised it didn't melt under her gaze.

"Aaran, would you please just talk!? Dane, sweetie, I know this is your first year, but you need to start advising these tributes! How are we going to get them out, otherwise?" Evana put in again. Aaran tilted his head towards her, giving her a once-over, as though she wasn't worth it. Dane cleared his throat at her words, though.

"Well, the first thing we want to know is if you want to be trained separately or together." He asked. He was trying to sound all professional and tough, but Raymond saw through it. He was inexperienced. He simply didn't give off the I-Know-The-Capitol-And-What-They-Want aura like Aaran did. But Raymond had a feeling Dane would be helping them a lot more than Aaran. He decided to go with it. Without so much as glancing towards his district partner, he said "Separately."

"Agreed. No offense, kid, but I wouldn't want to train with you. I want to put as much distance between me and that godforsaken district as possible." Frankie stated, glaring at Raymond, almost as though she was challenging him to say something against her. Raymond glared right back. He wasn't going to say anything, but he wasn't going to be punched around either.

Dane detected the first inkling of an upcoming clash, so he cleared his throat again. The two tributes looked at him. Raymond seemed so cold for his age, so mature and ruthless for a twelve-year-old. Frankie, though Dane's age, seemed to have suffered much more than Dane. When Dane had been reaped, he's been shocked and scared. Frankie, on the other hand, was a confident, angry and tough volunteer.

"Now that that's decided, I think we should go over the tributes once. We watched the Reapings. Any tribute stuck out to you guys?" he asked. He had a feeling he was rambling, but he had no choice. The tension in the air was palpable and about to break any minute. He looked at Aaran for help, but the older man simply shrugged. "Ask them." he said. Dane glared at him, but didn't say anything.

"The boys from Two and Four seem like threats." Evana stated, trying to ease the awkwardness. Dane looked at her with a thankful expression. "Right. Those two will definitely be in the career alliance. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd say they'd be competing for the place of leader." Dane added. Frankie looked up.

"That's good. If those idiots keep squabbling, it'll be easier for us to take 'em out." She said, tapping the table with her fingers. Raymond looked at her. She seemed really tough and nonchalant about killing people but he doubted that was the case. But no way was he going to let her win the favoritism of the mentors.

"Other than them, I'd say the boys from Seven and Ten are threats. Even the pair from Nine looks formidable. And the bloke from Eight seems like a psychopath." He said. Dane looked a little relieved at the ease in pressure. "Let's go over them again, shall we?" he said.

"The pair from One seem different. I don't think the girl will be in the career alliance, but the boy certainly will be. The ones from Two are definitely trained, and certain threats. Three looked a little harmless, but the girl seems tough and the boy could win the capitol with the 'likeable' cover." Dane said. He looked at Raymond and Frankie, silently asking them to respond to his statement.

"Agreed. Four's boy is definitely in the careers, but I'm not sure about the girl. Six seemed a little weak, but they could always be hiding some secrets. The girl from Seven seemed like a spitfire, and the boy seems strong. They can be dangerous. The girl from Eight might be with the careers, being the daughter of a victor and all. The boy though, seems simply crazy. He looked like he wants to kill everyone he sees." Raymond analyzed. His voice was strangely monotonous, but he was keeping it that way. He didn't want to betray any feeling. Frankie was glaring at Dane; she looked at him with anger and loathing. Dane didn't seem to notice. The awkward silence was broken by, surprisingly, Aaran.

"Neat, kid. Didn't think a squirt like you would have the brains to think. You're correct about the tributes. The pair from Nine could be dangerous; the girl seems to know survival and the guy seems tough. The ones from Ten are definitely ones to watch out for. The guy looked like he had some skill and the girl has a fire in her. Eleven seemed tough too, so look out for them. Twelve's chap seemed like a clever one to me, but the girl's probably a sweet, little kid. But like you said, you can't underestimate anyone at this point of time." He spoke more words than Raymond had though he would. He leaned back and snickered. "That being said, I don't want you to think of yourselves as major threats either. You may have some skill, but overconfidence leads to death. You two may just be taken out by one of the very ones you labeled as bloodbaths. I wouldn't be surprised."

"I'll surprise you there, Phantom Menace. Believe me." Frankie said, getting up. "Where're you going!?" Evana exclaimed, looking scandalized, "A lady never leaves a conversation like that!"

Frankie rounded on her, banging her fist on the table. "Oh yeah?" she sneered. "Watch me."

She turned on her heels and walked towards the door of the compartment. She paused only for a moment to have the door open, but headed out without so much as a glance towards them.

Aaran looked at Dane with mock regret. "Was it something I said?"

Dane sighed. "I'll go check on her, make sure she doesn't do anything… you know." He finished uncertainly. Evana looked a little miffed, but didn't say anything. Raymond watched as Dane got up and walked after Frankie.

Frankie sat on a couch in another compartment, digging her nails into the plush leather seats. She wanted to be happy that she'd left District Five behind. But she couldn't help but think back to their analysis of the tributes. All of them would have to die for her to return and live a good life in the Victor's village. She sighed. What had to be done, had to be done.

The sound of the door opening behind her brought her back to reality. She looked back to see Dane Evans come in sheepishly. She groaned internally.

Dane came over and sat beside her. He flashed her an uncertain smile, to which she responded by giving him a disgusted look. "What're you doing here?" she snapped. She didn't care that she was being rude. Dane looked a little confused. "Well, I know this must be hard for you, so I thought you might want some company…"

"I don't want any company from a psychopath."

Dane visibly started, looking at her with wide eyes. "I'm not a psychopath." He said, his voice shaking. Frankie laughed without humor. "I could say a lot different, Dane Evans. I saw the way you tore apart that boy from Eleven last year. That, can I just say, is what a psychopath would do. You probably don't know, but people call you the-"

Dane cut her off, his expression hard. "Psycho of District Five. Believe me, Frankie, I know what people say about me behind my back. But I'm not a psychopath. I didn't want to kill Sean. I had no choice. But I supposed I shouldn't have done it. I did it to come back to my friends and family. Once I got back, however, my friends abandoned me. They didn't want to be friends with a murderer. My father disowned my sister and I." his voice broke. Frankie wanted to reply with some snarky comment, but seeing him break, she kept shut.

"You think it's easy? You think killing people is easy? You think the Hunger Games is just about taking others' lives?" he said, his voice soft, but firm. Frankie had no intention of speaking now. Sure, she still hated Dane. But she wanted to listen to what he wanted to say too.

He looked at her, his gray eyes rimmed with red, though Frankie didn't know whether it was from grief or anger.

"You have no idea what the Games are. When you're in the arena, it's like swimming in a riptide of darkness, helplessness and tragedy. You grope with frail fingers for a sliver of hope amidst all the despair and suffering, and it only comes crashing down on you when you watch everyone else die, that there is none. The Games don't just force you to kill people. They take away every shred of humanity you hold within yourself."

Frankie's jaw was hanging open. A tear made its way down Dane's cheek, but he quickly wiped it off. One could only hear the whir of engines as the train moved forward. Frankie stared at the boy with wide eyes. For the first time, she was speechless.

Dane got up from his place. "Thank you for saving my sister's life." He said, his voice suddenly steely. He didn't sound angry, just broken. He was clearly trying to keep it together for the sake of being a mentor. As he started to walk towards the exit, Frankie decided she'd been quiet for too long.

"Dane…" she called out. He stopped and slowly turned to face her, his features scrunched up as though he expected another insult. Frankie bit her lip; this sort of thing was foreign to her. "I'm sorry." She said. It sounded uncertain and strange on her lips. She'd rarely apologized to people before. Dane gave her a sad smile.

"Don't be. You're not the first, and probably not the last, person to say this stuff to me. Hell, I'd be surprised if people remembered my name. I'm just called the psycho of District Five."

With that, he walked out the door, leaving Frankie with only one thought on her mind.

If the Games changed people so much, was leaving District Five really worth it?

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Wow. Longest. Chapter. EVER. 9000 words, like what what what what whaaaaa?**

 **I hope I did well with these tributes! These six districts were chosen completely randomly, and the next chapter will be about the remaining six districts! BUT! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

 **VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT MUST READ!**

 **I'm afraid I have some bad news. My exams are approaching, and I really need to do well, as this year is crucial. Thus, with a heavy heart, I must say that I'm putting this story on hold until September 30** **th.** **I promise this story is NOT abandoned, I would NEVER do that to y'all. But I hope you understand my situation. I wanted this chapter up, so y'all wouldn't be left hanging with only the Reapings, but yeah. I'm extremely sorry for the hiatus, but I seriously hope you guys understand! Once again, truly sorry, but I will be back to writing about your awesome tributes as soon as the Exams get over!**

 **Right then. Do tell me how I did with the rides! Also, shout out to Josephm611 for giving me Aaran Surge, and to Santiago. Poncini20 for Dellora and Golden. They're epic mentors!**

 **Reply time!**

 **To santiago. poncini20: I'm glad you liked them! Thanks for the review! And the chart too! And thanks for Dellora and Golden in this chapter! Hope I did well with Almiro!**

 **To Josephm611: Yep, the name was pretty straightforward. I'm glad you liked him! And its perfectly fine, I respect your thoughts of Gigi! And yes! No more reapings! Thanks for Aaran by the way, and I hope I did well with Colt!**

 **To Mystical Pine Forest: I'm so happy I was able to write her well! And I was waiting for someone to say something about Isaac's aunt! XP Hope I did well in this chapter! I'm so sorry I didnt do Lisette or Gigi's POVs, but I'll do them as soon as I get back! They really are amazing characters!**

 **To Reader Castellan: Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! I hope I did well with Raymod in this chapter! Hope it was good!**

 **To Embers to Ashes: Yay! Thank you! I personally dont like it either. And I'm glad you liked Gigi! Hope I did well with Frankie in this chapter!**

 **To Sab: Thanks! I'm so glad you liked them, and I agree, Gigi certainlu was different. Thanks for the chart! Hope this chapter was good! :)**

 **To Sally the Lioness: Thanks! I'm glad you liked them! I myself am excited about writinf the Games, and hate it having to wait. Hope I did well with Anna and Eva!**

 **To PercyJacksonAlways: First off, your username is EPIC! Also, I was very honored when I saw your review because I've read your story "Tournament of Power" and LOVED it! So I was honored when a talented writer like you reviewed ny story, so THANK YOU SO MUCH! :))) Hope this chapter was good! :)**

 **To deny: I'm glad you liked him! Sarcastic people are really needed in a story, arent they? I actually never thought of that name for him, but it is cool! Hope this chapter was good! :)**

 **To malicismyname: Thank you so much! I'm so glad I wrote them well, I dont want to have been doing injustice to the creators! Hope this chapter was good! :))**

 **Right guys, sorry for thw Hiatus, but please understand. I really want to do well in my exams, so please understand my situation. I'll be back to writing as soon as they get over, I promise! Sorry once again, and I hope this chapter was good!**

 **Until next time!**


	17. Train Rides: Part Two

**Train Rides:**

 **District Eleven:**

Dwayne couldn't believe what lay in front of him. Delicacies of various sorts lined the table. His eyes were practically bulging out of his head. This was what the Capitol did with their produce. And back home, if a family got one fourth of what was present here, they'd last it through about a month. Besides the ominous growling in his stomach, he couldn't help but feel anger boil in his chest.

"You know, if you want, you can eat the stuff too. You've been ogling at it for about an hour now." He heard a voice speak up beside him. He looked to find his thirteen year old district partner looking at him with an amused expression. Almost as though she wanted to prove the edibility of the food in front of them, she reached out and took what Dwayne thought was a bun. She bit into it, and gave him a nod while chewing.

"Fee?" she said with her mouth full, "Puhfefee efifa"

Dwayne raised an eyebrow and she seemed to understand her mistake. She quickly swallowed and said, "perfectly edible."

Dwayne couldn't help but laugh. Just to please her, he reached over and grabbed a crochet. He was about to bite into it, when the doors opened, making him drop it back onto his plate in surprise. April smiled at the person in front of them, though she couldn't help but think he looked a little creepy.

"Hello there." The tall burly man said. He walked over and took a seat opposite Dwayne and April. She narrowed her eyes slightly, getting a closer look at him. He seemed to be in his late twenties, with a coffee-bean brown complexion and a shaved head. He smiled at them, and the crinkles beside his eyes suggested heavily stressed nights and lack of sleep. He looked kind enough, but the one thing April found slightly creepy about him was the fact that he was missing his left arm from below the elbow. Nevertheless, this guy was supposed to be helping them, and so she needed to treat him with some respect.

"April." She introduced herself, holding out her hand. He shook it with his intact one, and Dwayne followed her example. "My name is Chaff. If you didn't know, your other mentor, Kenya, was also supposed to be accompanying me, but she fell drastically ill and couldn't do so. Thus, it'll be just me. Any, ah, questions?"

The tributes shook their heads. Chaff smiled and sat back in his chair. He looked at April. "Girl, that was a brave thing you did out there. Sister, I presume?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. April nodded. "I couldn't let her go into the arena because I knew she wouldn't make it past the bloodbath. There would've been no hope of her coming back. And besides, I owed her." she finished. Chaff raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask for any details, for which April was glad. She wasn't really sure she wanted to give any.

"And you think you have a better chance than her at winning this thing?" her mentor asked again. Her gaze hardened. "Yes, sir, I think I do. I have strengths, and I have a drive. I want to make it back to my sister." She said.

Dwayne had been watching this exchange with wide eyes. The girl sitting but a seat away from him emanated a fire that he'd rarely seen in the tributes of his district. He remembered the person last year who'd sat in his chair. He suppressed a shiver when Sean Havens' demise came to his mind. He hoped he wouldn't share the same fate.

Chaff smiled wider. "I have no doubt that you do." he said, his voice surprisingly soft. He eyed Dwayne. "And you, boy? Anything to say about yourself?"

Dwayne found himself staring blankly back at the man. He caught his voice and shook his head. "Sorry, zoned out a bit there. Um, I don't really have a dramatic line to say, but I'm fairly agile and quick." He said, glancing towards April. The younger girl smiled back at him.

Chaff laughed. "Well, I think I've gotten two contenders this year. My my, when I heard the escort, I expected two weaklings. But I think you two stand a good chance." He said. Dwayne could feel his spirits rising. April spoke up first. "So, Mister Chaff, are you going to help us hone our talents? If I had to pick a talent for myself, I'd admit I'm fairly good at camouflage. Not only can I hide well, but I can also detect it." she said, leaning forward.

"Well, I'm no expert at camouflage, but like I said, I'm quick. And I'm good with traps." Dwayne put in. Chaff looked at them thoughtfully. "You know, you two would make it very far indeed. Stealth would be the key to your survival. But then of course, you'd have to be in an alliance." Their mentor said.

Dwayne looked at April, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. He couldn't figure this girl out. One minute she looked as though she were about to pounce on a grown man, and the next, she was timidly avoiding Dwayne's eyes. "Um, April?" he prompted. He didn't want to be the one to speak first. This would tell him a lot about his partner.

"I'm fine with Dwayne." April said. Dwayne grinned and turned back to Chaff. "I'm good too." He said. Chaff nodded. "Good, but the two of you won't be enough. We'll try to bring in at least two or three more people into your alliance, but that's it. And I don't want either of you allying with the careers, or even going near them. Got it?" he asked. The two nodded.

"Well then, I'll be going to my room now. Take a small rest, and we'll start talking strategy in the evening." He said, getting up from his seat. As he walked out the door, Dwayne looked once again at April. "Thanks." He said. She looked up at him. "For what?"

"Agreeing to be allies."

She smiled. "Dwayne, I'm lucky to have an ally like yourself. I should be the one saying thank you." She said. Dwayne moved to the chair beside her. "April, you said something about owing your sister. What did you mean?" he asked. He knew he was stepping into personal territory, but he needed to know his district partner well. She fixed him with a cold look. "That's personal." She said curtly. Dwayne wasn't about to give up. "Hey, you can tell me. I'm a good listener." He said, softer this time.

April looked once again at her district partner. She'd rarely ever spoken of her family except to her best friend. But something told her she could trust this boy. She began softly, telling him of that hideous day, but her voice soon escalated into a higher volume, as the haunting memories came back to her. By the time she'd finished, she could feel her cheeks wet from her tears. She never showed her true emotions to anyone, and yet, she was crying in front of this stranger. Dwayne didn't say anything, simply pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's okay. It's all over. Your sister's safe now." He said.

April wondered for a moment whether this was how Amanda felt when she was comforting her. She caught herself. She wasn't here to become friends with her partner, and if she'd begun seeing a brother in him, then that was even worse. She'd always considered Tyler like a brother figure to herself, and she didn't want to see Dwayne the same way too. She quickly pulled away.

Dwayne smiled. "You know, you sorta remind me of my little brother." He said. April didn't say anything. He knew why. Friendship in the Games was dangerous. In fact, emotions in the Games was dangerous. Often it got your allies killed. But more often, it got you killed.

 **District Six:**

"You scared?" Otto asked Lisette. The younger girl shook her head but didn't say anything. They were still waiting for their mentor to come, and Otto figured he was probably annoying Lisette with his talks. However, it helped him stay calm, so that's what he did.

"Goodness Otto, Silver isn't that bad. You act as though he'll eat your head." Azure laughed. He was sitting on a chair, while Otto and Lisette occupied two seats on the sofa. Their only living Victor, Martin Anderson had breathed his last merely a fortnight ago after suffering through an incurable disease, due to which, Silver Etherdi of District One was now assigned as their mentor. Neither Otto, nor Lisette had any idea who he was, only that he was very popular in the Capitol.

"I agree, I really am not that bad." A voice came. Both tributes jumped, as their eyes fell on the man who'd just greeted them. In a flash, both understood why he was so popular in the Capitol. Silver Etherdi had covetable looks which the Capitol ladies swooned over. He, true to his name, had silvery blond hair which fell into his eyes as a messy schoolboy hairstyle. He couldn't have been more than Twenty-three. His icy blue eyes were mischievous and snarky, and his well-muscled arms contrasted greatly with his cheerful appearance. If Otto looked half of what this guy did, things would've been different with Aubrey.

"So, Lisette and Otto, am I correct?" he said, coming over to them. He held out his hand. "Silver Etherdi. You probably know the situation with your mentors. So, for this year, I'll be your mentor." He shook both their shivering hands and went to take a seat opposite theirs. He looked back and them and smiled. "Really now, you two can talk, I assume? Why so quiet?" he sounded so easy-going, so very unlike the rest of the monsters from his district.

"There's not much to say, is there? You'll probably be supporting the tributes from One, seeing as that's our district." Lisette said. Otto was surprised she could speak up to someone like Silver. He half-expected the guy to throttle Lisette for disrespecting him, but he simply laughed.

"Lisette Osborn, I may be from One, but I'm not a slimy weasel. Right now, my tributes are the two of you, not the ones from my district. In fact, right now, my district is Six, not One. So don't you worry. I'll be doing everything in my abilities to make sure the two of you make it back alive." He said. His words were so smooth, the tributes found it hard not trusting him. He sat back on the couch, leaning against the soft leather. "Let's discuss our strategy, shall we? First of all, I'm going to train you two together. Any objections?" his tone made it clear he didn't want any. Lisette and Otto shook their heads.

"Good. Also, since both of you are younger than most other tributes, I want you to be in an alliance. Of course, I don't know your strengths and weaknesses now, but unless either of you has inhumane abilities, I'd suggest being in an alliance is your best shot at defeating, say, the careers. Got me?"

Unsure of what to say, the two simply nodded again. Otto didn't mind being in an alliance, and if Silver said so, then it must have been helpful. Lisette didn't fully trust Silver yet, but the boy talked like he knew what he was doing. She gave Otto a once over. He didn't seem all that strong, but he obviously would be quick.

"Now. First thing I want to tell you is that the biggest thing I want you to focus on is picking up some skills with survival." Silver said. "More often than not, even the strongest tributes are killed by infections and natural causes. Use the survival stations at training."

"But how're we supposed to get high scores if all we do is survival training?" Otto burst out. Silver grinned. "Look here. Showing Gamemakers good skills with survival will fetch you at least a five. Add some meager weapon skills, and you've gotten yourself a six. Besides that, act all likable and cute at the interviews, and you've gotten the capitol drooling over you. What else do you need?"

"Wait so, Silver, you're saying they should hide themselves all through the Games?" Azure asked. Silver nodded. "That would be their best bet, yes."

Otto grinned at Lisette, who seemed slightly more trusting of their mentor. "We're gonna own this thing Lissy!" he exclaimed. Lisette turned to face him and allowed herself a small smile. She turned back to Silver with a hopeful expression. "You really think we can make it far?" she asked. Silver smiled.

"You certainly can if you try." He said, leaning forward. "Listen to me, Otto, Lisette. Both of you are at a stark disadvantage of being younger than the rest of the tributes out there. I've seen the Reapings myself. The careers, with the exception of maybe the girls from One and Four look like they won't hesitate to snap someone's neck. The boy from Eight looks like a psychopath. Even the ones from Ten and Seven look dangerous, not to mention the pair from Nine. You're some of the youngest tributes out there, but I'll tell you something. You have an advantage over them too."

Lisette raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She was intrigued. True, she didn't trust Silver all that much, but gradually, she felt as though he really did want to help them. Silver smiled. "You guys are likable. The Capitol loves cute little kids. Maybe you guys don't have immense amounts of skills with weapons, but I can guarantee that you'll pull off the cute little kid cover very well."

Otto looked slightly offended. "Hey, I ain't a kid!" Silver ignored him completely. "The Capitol likes sponsoring the handsome and beautiful tributes who can show some skill. So you can know for a fact that District Two and Four will be reeling in sponsors. But in my games, there was this alliance of sweet girls, who didn't want to kill anyone. They got a few sponsors too. Apparently the Capitol will help y'all people who are all cute and cuddly. Beats me, but hey, we really don't care, do we?"

Lisette was getting more intrigued by Silver's advice by every passing second. The guy hadn't won his games all that long ago, but he seemed really experienced. And he'd already brought back a victor. He was someone she could rely on. Not trust, perhaps not just yet, but definitely rely on.

"So here's what I suggest." Silver sat forward, his platinum blond hair falling into his eyes. Azure couldn't help but look back and forth between the people sitting in front of him. He'd expected Silver to be a stuck-up jerk, but he'd turned out to be really helpful. And though Lisette was one of the youngest tributes out there, she had a determination in her. Azure could definitely see Otto winning some of the oh-my-gosh-he's-so-adorable votes out there.

He tuned in to what Silver was saying. "Try allying with some tributes your age. Or at least somewhere close to your age. Preferably someone at least slightly skilled. With that, you have your survival skills combined with their weapons, and some sponsors from the Capitol. What else could you want?" he asked, rhetorically.

Lisette and Otto shared glances. What Silver was saying made a lot of sense. And, if they followed his instructions, they might actually have a fair shot at the Games.

 **District Seven:**

"And then, he said, to learn the value of pie!" Nick looked at Absalom, her eyes wide, and her mouth open in mid-laugh, expecting a reaction from the boy beside her. He simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Get it? Pie? Like the number? The baker wanted his son to learn the value of pie?" she nodded, slightly prompting him to say something, or hopefully show the mild inkling of laughter. No such luck. He sat staring straight ahead, expressionless. Honestly, the bloke could be a tad creepy sometimes. He would suddenly turn to look at Nick, his eyes narrowed. Other times, he would pretend as though she was an annoying gnat, buzzing beside his ear, not worthy of attention.

Brantley Light, otherwise known in the capitol as Blight, sat in the seat opposite the tributes, looking back and forth between them. He couldn't believe that two people could be so utterly different. Nick was snarky, sarcastic and outgoing. Absalom, on the other hand, was so quiet, the dead probably spoke more than him. He seemed to be slightly amused by Nick's fruitless attempts at trying to make him laugh, but he wasn't showing anything.

Blight had come in a few minutes ago to Nick trying to make Absalom laugh with what he could only define as jokes that would win the award for stupid. He hadn't tried to interrupt them, choosing to observe them closely before saying anything.

Nick threw her hands up in frustration. "I give up!" She yelled dramatically, "My District partner is a sour-faced welp who simply refuses to laugh. You, sir" she said jabbing a finger in Absalom's direction, "are mighty strange. I have used up my entire freaking library of jokes, even using the ones I crack with three-year-olds, and you don't even smile. That's gotta take some talent."

Absalom eyed her. It had no emotion whatsoever, but it was a glance all the same. "I'd laugh if the jokes were funny. Or if you were funny. Seeing to the fact that neither is true, I choose to stay silent rather than insult your obvious failure at being humorous." He said. Nick narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, young lady, if this behavior of yours continues, I'll be surprised if you get even a single sponsor!" Shine retorted from beside the table. She was standing with her hands on her waist, her hip jutting to a side. "I mean, would you look at last year's tribute? Winter was not just beautiful, but also bold and eye-catching. She looked absolutely gorgeous on her chariot! And you-" She was cut off when Nick got up from her seat on the sofa. The sixteen-year-old was fuming. Absalom instinctively backed away slightly. Nick took stiff steps towards Shine, who immediately knew she had made a mistake. "Look, Nick, I didn't…"

"Are you saying I'm not qualified because I'm not pretty?" Nick's voice was tight. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't intend on charming my way INTO THE CAPITOL!" Nick kicked out at the last words. Shine jumped back, but Nick had kicked a chair. The chair toppled over and one leg broke; Nick's force had been seriously hard. "Well if you think I don't stand a chance because I don't look like a goddess on Earth, then you can KISS MY-"

"Yes, all right! That's enough!" Blight intervened, holding out his arm and stepping in front of Nick. He fixed her with a stern expression. Nick was a spitfire, and she was glaring at Shine so hard, the poor woman seemed to shrink back. Blight frowned. Such impulsiveness wasn't good for the games. "Shine, that's not what you meant, right?" He prompted. Shine nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! I meant that Nick can win the audience with her other skills! I'm sure she'll go even further than Winter!" Shine said quickly. Blight turned back to Nick. "And you. Apologize. Right now."

Nick looked at Shine with a skeptical expression. The she turned and bent down, next to the broken chair. "Oh I'm so sorry, O high and mighty chair. That was so very unladylike of me. I can promise you I will never make the same mistake again. Do forgive, O great chair." She said in a completely serious tone.

This time, Absalom and Blight couldn't help but laugh. Not necessarily at what Nick had said, but Shine's expression was priceless. Nick looked at her District partner, her eyes holding a surprised look. "Right. So an entire library of jokes exhausted, and you laugh at a broken chair. Seems legit." She said. Blight shook his head. "Apologize to Shine." He said firmly, trying to hold back his laughter. Nick let out a huff, but mumbled an apology all the same.

"Oh it's alright, sweetie. I'm sorry too." Shine said. She smiled warmly at Nick, who narrowed her eyes at the former suspiciously. "You know, even though you just insulted me-"

"I didn't insult you, Nick. I'm sorry." Shine said again. Nick nodded and held up her hand. "Yeah, okay. You didn't insult me. But even though you're downright weird and look like a walking, talking sequin, you're actually not half-bad. For an escort." she said. She expected a response, but got none. Blight had never seen a girl like Nick. She sighed again. "Are we all gonna wait until Shine dresses like a human being and Absalom here actually smiles for once?" she cocked her head to the side. Blight shook himself out of his thoughts and nodded at Nick, before sitting down, and being followed by Nick. Absalom was looking at her funny, but she just raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she asked, as though nothing strange had happened. Absalom shrugged. "Nothing." he turned back to Blight.

Shine flashed Blight a meaningful look. Blight shook his head with a small laugh and looked at his tributes closely.

"Alright, then. Before we start the formal training, I want to tell you what I think of you two. You, Nick, can definitely get sponsors with the whole 'humorous and jokey' thing of yours. The Capitol loves it. You seem fairly athletic, so maybe a good training score will help you as well. Now, as for you, Absalom," he looked at the boy, who was listening with interest. "I think you have a chance of getting in with the careers."

Absalom's eyebrows shot up. "What?" he asked, shocked at what his mentor had said. Blight nodded. "From what I could make of the Reapings, the girls from One and Four might not be a part of the alliance. That means that at least on spot will be open. Usually the careers like to take in the big, strong tributes. Aside from you, the only person who fits that description in the boy from Eight. And the careers would have to be idiots to take in a psychopath who could kill them in their sleep. So I think you stand a fair chance of being asked to join them. What do you think?"

Absalom was at a loss of words. He wanted to be a threat, and to come back alive, and what was more threatening than the careers? However, he would also be disposable. He would be bound by their decision, knowing that if he went against them, they could gang up on him. He shrugged slightly. "I'll think about it when and if it happens." He said. Blight nodded, obviously pleased with his decision.

"Now, the big question. Together or separate?" their mentor asked. The tributes eyed each other warily. Nick wasn't sure she trusted this guy all that much. Something about his gaze seemed to bore into your very soul. He looked like he could analyze her entire life without so much as asking her. However, he seemed really strong, and would probably be good with weapons. She herself was pretty good with an axe and a machete, but given something else, she wouldn't have the foggiest what to do. Allying with him might help her learn something more with weapons.

Absalom, on the other hand, was thinking thoughts very different from Nick's. Sure, he didn't trust her, but then again, he trusted no one, especially not when he knew all of them would have to die for him to live. Nick was loud-mouthed, snarky and short tempered. She had extremes of moods, either extremely laid-back and sarcastic, or extremely pissed off and angry. However, she had her strengths, he could tell. And the best way to know them would be to train with her. That way, he could figure out how to use her weaknesses against her. And if she was strong, he could even ally with her.

No understanding passed between them, but the tributes knew their answers. They turned to Blight, and Absalom was about to speak, but apparently Nick decided she'd been quiet for way too long. "Together." She said. Absalom nodded. Blight looked a tad confused, but he highly doubted trust had anything to do with it. He almost cracked a smile. Maybe Seven had a chance this year.

 **District Eight:**

Bellona rolled her eyes. This was boring. Tony Clouds was boring. He simply sat there, drinking from a bottle, and looking at the tributes. She wished she could be mentored by one of her parents. Unfortunately, parents couldn't mentor their own children. What kind of a stupid rule was that!?

"So." Tony said. She almost groaned. So far, Tony hadn't created a very good impression. "You're Woof's kid, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Bellona pouted and gave him her classic did-this-insignificant-life-form-just-talk-to-me look. "I prefer Bellona Irving, if it's all the same to you. And my Father is Caspian. Not Woof." She said, her voice emanating the pride she held within. Tony shrugged. "The Capitol calls him Woof. But that's not important. And you, what's your name again?" he looked at Ruben.

Bellona didn't know what to make of the guy. He was a bloodthirsty monster, but she could definitely use that. She just didn't know if he was gullible or not. His hood was pulled over his head, but she could see his twisted grin. "Ruben." He said. His voice was deep and smooth. She almost didn't believe he was a psychotic killer. He'd informed her of his endeavors, for lack of better term, as soon as they'd boarded the train. Initially she'd been slightly creeped out, but she'd figured later on that this was an invaluable thing.

Ruben looked down at his hands. He could almost see the blood of the future tributes on them. He smiled wider. He looked up at the pathetic face of Tony, their cursed mentor. The guy had killed only one person in his games, his final competitor, the girl from Nine. And that hadn't been a very artistic death. No blood. No screaming. He'd simply stabbed her in the skull. She'd been dead within seconds. Ruben hated seeing people die so quickly. He wanted to hear them scream, to watch them writhe in pain. That, to him, was as sweet as sugar.

"You two seem really formidable." Tony concluded. Ruben couldn't help but laugh. "Formidable?" He asked, "Tony Clouds, I can promise you better deaths in that arena than you have ever seen. More screams. And definitely more blood."

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. Not very often were the tributes so bloodthirsty and lethal. Ruben and Bellona could've easily fit in with the careers. Tony nodded all the same. "Well, then. I think we should start talking about the Games. First thing I wanna know. Separately trained, or together?"

"Separately." Both said at once. They gave each other curt nods, and Tony added a nod of his own. "Very well. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go over the tributes with you." He said. "Let's start from the top. What about the pair from One?"

Bellona shrugged. "The boy will clearly be in the career alliance, but I don't think he'll lead it. The girl seems weak, if you ask me. Probably won't make it far." Tony nodded. "Ruben?"

Ruben didn't say anything. The boy seemed strong, but he couldn't help but wonder about the girl. She would hopefully scream a lot when he killed her. Bellona didn't wait for her partner. She went on. "The ones from Two are definitely threats. I think the boy will be the leader of the careers. The ones from Three seemed like bloodbaths in my opinion. The Four boy may be a contender for the leader of careers, and with those looks, he'll have a huge sponsor base. The girl's probably a bloodbath."

Tony grinned. Bellona was good at this. He could see her with the careers. "You've voiced my thoughts. The girl from Five seems like a threat, and the boy, though young, seems really calculating. You should watch out for them. The pair from Six seem weak, but they could be hiding some secrets. The Boy from Seven is definitely a threat, and quite possibly the girl too. The boy might just get in with the careers, with that build of his. The ones from Nine can also be threats; the guy seems well-built and the girl looks like she knows how to put up a fight. The boy from Ten is also a definite threat, and the girl has some serious fight in her."

Bellona was loving this. The breakdown of each tribute was so much fun! "I don't like the looks of the pair from Eleven, they seem crafty and dangerous. The boy from Twelve may be another one of those manipulative charmers, and the girl's a pampered brat. She won't make it past the bloodbath. So our threats, other than the careers, are the pairs from Seven, Nine, Ten and Eleven. Maybe even Five." She concluded. Tony laughed.

"Girl, you are definitely getting in with the careers. In fact, that's what I want you to aim for. Get in with the careers. They should take you in, you're the child of a previous victor and obviously have skills to show." He advised. Bellona grinned wickedly. "Oh, Tony. Let me inform you. I have a plan already worked out."

"Oh?" he asked, leaning forward, interested. Bellona's smirk grew wider. She looked at Ruben, who'd been so silent, it had almost been as if he wasn't there. "It includes you too Ruben. Listen up." He responded by nodding. Bellona took a deep breath and began.

"I'll try to get into the careers. The boys from Two and Four may have some competition for leader. I can play along those lines. I can divide the careers, and pick off the weak ones. The boys from Four and Two can be thrown into a fight. I'll wait till one kills the other, then I'll kill the survivor. The other careers can be killed by other tributes. While I'm doing this, Ruben, you will aim at picking off the weaker tributes. Once the careers are dead, we can ally and kill the remaining tributes."

Tony and Ruben were silent. After a moment, Tony started clapping. He laughed along with it. "Dammit Bellona, you've got a fair shot at this!" he said. Bellona grinned. She hoped Ruben was stupid enough to not realize that she would turn on him as soon as they reached the top Five. She looked at him expectantly.

He slowly nodded. "Seems like a good enough plan. I would love killing those weak pathetic tributes. I seriously wonder how loud they scream. But…" his voice trailed off. Bellona's smile faltered. She prayed that he wouldn't realize the catch.

He didn't.

He simply grinned at her. "Kill whoever you want. But the girl from Four is mine."

And he wasn't going to let anyone else kill her. He wanted to hear the screams of the reaped girl. He knew her screams would be the loudest. He almost chuckled. He was going to enjoy these Games so much.

Bellona held back a relieved sigh and smiled sweetly. "Of course. You can kill her in the bloodbath of you want." She turned to Tony. "You're going to be losing your job soon. I'm going to be next year's mentor." And she meant it. Ruben could satisfy his bloodlust all he wanted. She was going to win this thing.

 **District Nine:**

"Stupid Games. Stupid District. STUPID STUPID STUPID!" Avena was losing it. Hartley had given up the place beside her, choosing instead to sit on the chair beside the couch. Their mentor, Omer Hylan was trying to calm Avena down in a futile attempt.

"Avena, screaming won't help. What's done is done. Maybe you can calm down a little bit…" He gingerly reached out for her hand, but she glared at him. The cut on her lip was still red from the clotted blood. "I'm not going to calm down. I'm going to go out there and kick every single person's butt, who dares say anything against my district. And I'm going to especially kick the butts of those careers." She said.

Hartley was having a hard time. This girl shouted almost as much as his mother did, and that was not a good thing. He simply sighed. Why was Avena even trying? There was no way she would win. He may have stood a chance; he had the physique to win. But she was just a girl from an outer district. She may have had fire in her, but she had no chance of winning.

"Yes, you most definitely will. Would you please calm down?" Omer asked again. Avena didn't say anything. She slumped back into her seat. "Whatever." She pouted. Omer sighed. "Right. Thank you."

Avena didn't know what to make of their mentor. Omer was a kind man, no doubt. But despite what he said, she got the feeling he didn't really believe they could win. She almost snorted. She was going to take that up as a challenge if it continued.

Omer had been the victor of the Twenty-fifth Hunger Games, the first Quarter Quell. He'd been fifteen at that time. She had no idea why he'd been voted into the games, but he had allied with the son of a thug, a drug addict, and another sweet boy. Omer and that boy had quickly developed feelings for each other, and his death had broken Omer. Now Omer was married to another man who went by the name of Robert, but she'd heard that he only saw his first love in him.

"God. I don't know why we bother with all this mentoring crap. It's not like you're gonna instill new talents in us. If we're gonna die in the arena, were gonna die in the freakin' arena. Live with it." Hartley muttered. Avena laughed. "You're gonna die, live with it? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

She turned to look at Hartley. "Let me tell you mister I-always-depressed, you may plan on dying, but I don't. I plan on coming back home, and I plan on living. So, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not die." She said. Omer couldn't hide a small smile.

"I like your spirit, Avena. I really do. It'll help you with sponsors." Omer said. Avena smirked. "Of course it will. Who won't sponsor this?" she gestured to herself. "The entire Capitol can't be filled with idiots like Bubble, can it?"

This time, Omer did actually laugh. Even Hartley managed a smile. Bubble had retired to her room, declaring her tiredness. How someone could get tired by speaking a few words, Hartley didn't know. Maybe it was her dress. Maybe walking in the thing took up too much energy.

"Now that since we're all calm and normal, should we watch the Reapings?" Omer offered. Hartley shrugged, he couldn't care less. Avena didn't say anything, but gave an interested nod. Omer switched on the television, where they were showing the repeat of the Reapings. Hartley completely zoned out. He didn't care about who was Reaped.

Most of those tributes would die anyways. Heck, all of them would have to die. He needed to win this. He spared a glance towards the television. A girl with shoulder-length black hair had just volunteered. Was this Four? Maybe two? He didn't know. And he didn't care. She would end up dead too. He didn't even want to see them.

He didn't want to kill any of them, of course. But it was what he had to do. He hated himself for it. His hatred for his own self was so much, he almost wanted to hit himself. He was needed to kill children, just so what? So the Capitol could have entertainment? So he could be traumatized? The Games were so stupid and fruitless, and he hated his luck for landing him into this mess.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the voice of their mentor. "So, Hartley? What do you think?" he asked. Hartley shrugged. "I dunno. Some seem like dangers. I don't really care. In fact, you know what? I think I'm done here." he said. He got up from his chair, and before Omer or Avena could say anything, walked out of the room.

Avena and Omer exchanged glances. "Was it something I said?" Omer asked. Avena sighed. "No, he's just being his depressed self, I suppose. I've seen him in school. Him and his friends are almost always like that. Some tragic thing happened to his Father." She said. She too got up from her place. "I'll go talk him out of it. I sure as heck need more than one person to keep me company when Shine is around." She added. Omer nodded at her, and she followed Hartley's footsteps out of the compartment.

She stopped near a slightly open door. She hesitantly peeked inside. If it was Bubble sleeping, she didn't want to see. She couldn't imagine what a monstrosity her pajamas would have been. Thankfully, it wasn't.

Hartley sat on the bed, his head in his hands. His coffee-bean brown skin seemed even brighter in the light of the room. The room itself was mostly bleak except for a chair in the corner and the bed. Oh and of course, the extravagant lighting. How could she forget. She hesitantly pushed open the door.

Hartley sighed. "I don't wanna go back Omer. Get out." He said. Avena snorted. "I ain't Omer. And I ain't getting out for no crap." She walked over to his bed and sat beside him. She wasn't good at this comforting stuff, so she decided to do it her way.

"Listen. Stop being a wuss. I'm scared of these Games too, but running away isn't gonna help nobody. So man up, and get out there. Omer is helpful, and we're lucky to have a mentor like him." she said. Hartley looked ahead.

"I hate this." He said, softly. "I hate my goddamn life. It's just been one misery after another. And now, the biggest of them all. Being Reaped for the Games." He said. Avena shrugged.

"My life hasn't been a safe haven either. Imagine living with a psycho witch lady who believed in black magic and voodoo. Yeah, that was pretty much my childhood before I ran away. The psycho witch lady was my mother." She retorted. Hartley looked at her, slightly surprised.

"Guess we all have mommy issues, huh?" he said. He paused for a moment, debating his words. He finally decided to go with it. "My mother killed my father."

Avena looked at him. Strangely enough though, her eyes held no surprise, or sympathy, or shock. "Please don't say you're sorry." Hartley cut in before she could talk. He hated it when people did that. It felt superficial and empty. Avena smirked.

"I wasn't about to. What should I apologize for? That your Dad died? That your mother killed him? Well, none of that was my fault. But I know one thing, mate. If you were strong enough to survive through the trauma of that, you are definitely strong enough to survive the Games."

Hartley was a little surprised. This wasn't the usual reaction he got. And weirdly, it was the only one which made him feel better. Avena's smirk grew wider. "But, we're still gonna need mentoring. I don't wanna die of some stupid berry." She said, getting up. "So pick your bottom up, and come with me. Omer's waiting."

Hartley didn't smile, but he got up all the same. He didn't exactly like Avena, nor did he want to ally with her. But she did understand him. Her past was as bad as his. So albeit slightly reluctantly, he agreed to go along with her. She was, after all, his district partner.

 **District Three:**

Isaac was trying his best not to jump out the window of the train. Gigi was fingering a knife that lay near the fruit basket. Their mentor, Beetee Latier, looked at his tributes apologetically. Their escort, Juliana Bling had been going on and on for the past fifteen minutes how gorgeous the Capitol reporter's dresses were. Gigi could swear she'd heard every fashion trend the Capitol was to offer.

She looked at Isaac. "If she doesn't shut up, I swear my knife is gonna end up in her throat." She whispered in a low voice. Isaac groaned. "Be my guest." He whispered back.

Beetee didn't think Juliana wanted them to get so bored. She just didn't know the fact that they had very different interests. He cleared his throat. "Right, um, Juliana?" he called out in a soft voice. He himself was only in his mid-twenties, same as Juliana herself. He adjusted his glasses nervously. Juliana stopped mid-way about something to do with something called stilts. Or maybe stiltoes? Well, something like that.

"I don't think knowledge of the fashion trends in the Capitol will help our tributes." Beetee added. Gigi snorted. "Oh, gee. You _think_?" she said, sarcastically. She glared at Juliana. "I'm warning you lady. Another word about seven inch heels, or golden what's-the-names, and you're not going to live long enough to see the Capitol."

Juliana gasped and put a hand on her chest. Her rainbow colored hair stood out like a beacon amidst the dimply lit compartment of the train. Beetee wanted desperately to get back to his computer. He'd never been fond of mentoring. However, at the same time, he didn't want these kids to die. The faces of the tributes he'd killed in his Games still swam in front of his eyes.

"Um, Beetee? Isaac here asked you a question." Juliana said uncertainly. She put a hand on the young man's shoulder. He started. He nervously fingered his glasses, and looked at Isaac. "You were saying?" he asked. Isaac raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"I asked you what you thought we should do for the bloodbath." He said. Before Beetee could answer, Gigi held up a finger. "Woah there, kid. Lemme make something very clear here. We may be district partners. We are not allies. And we never will be. So the corrected question is, what will _you_ do in the bloodbath." She said, giving Isaac a look that said if-you-dare-argue-I'm-going-to-shove-your-arms-down-your-throat. Isaac narrowed his eyes.

"What, you don't think I'm qualified enough?" he snapped. "I've got talents!"

"Oh I have no doubt that you do. It's just that my main intention is to be remembered. The only way to do that is to do something extraordinary on my own. Has anyone ever been remembered for something they did in an alliance? The victor with the most kills, Shaunya Shane, was alone from the beginning. And I don't plan on breaking that flow." Gigi stated.

Beetee looked back and forth between his tributes. Gigi was a fiery girl who apparently didn't give a rat's pink tail as to what anyone else thought of her, as long as she was remembered. Isaac seemed like a cocky young kid. He wondered for a moment how he was going to work with these guys.

"Well, okay. If Gigi doesn't want to train together, or ally, then we must respect that." Beetee stepped in. Gigi had nonchalantly begun eating an apple. Isaac was still glaring at her, but he turned his attention towards Beetee at his words.

"Fine." The young boy pouted. "What should I do in the blood bath?"

Beetee thought for a moment. "Well, guessing from your stance and stature, I'd say you should pick up a small back, maybe a thin knife of something, and run away from the cornucopia. That would probably be beneficial to your longevity." Beetee said, his voice soft. He always spoke as though he were afraid people would overhear him. Isaac smirked.

"Yeah. I'll do that. What about you, Gigi? What're you gonna do?" he asked, looking at his partner. He half-hoped she would have no idea and would ask him to renew his thoughts for the alliance. How could she refuse him outright like that!? It wasn't fair. However, to his disappointment, Gigi simply sneered.

"Oh, if that's what you're asking, dear partner, then let me tell you. I WILL make it out of the bloodbath. I'm gonna escape, and I'm gonna show those careers. If even one comes after me, they'll surely have my weapon in their faces. I don't care who it is. No one's taking Gigabyte Clearwater out in the bloodbath."

Beetee couldn't help but stare at her. "So you're really confident about winning?" he asked. The girl had some serious fire in her. She shrugged. "I don't really care, as long as I'm remembered. And that WILL happen, mind you." She said.

Beetee nodded, not wanting to further this discussion. Isaac still seemed a little miffed about Gigi's outright rejection, but Beetee knew these weren't the typical hopeless, underfed and impoverished tributes who frequented this train; who had already lost any hope of their survival. These two wanted to live. To make it out. To be remembered. And it was his job to help them.

So help them he would.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Is this really here? Am I really here? Yes, peepals, I am. I decided I shouldnt make you guys wait for soooooo long, and since this was to sort of, you know, de-stress me from the burden of exams, I wrote this. Took me a while. But I did. Because y'all are so whooping AWESOME! I MEAN, 193 REVEIWS!? SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY?**

 **Fact stands, my exams are still going on. So the next update will definitely be either after September thirtieth, or next week (towards the end) Probably after 30th. But I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I wanna thank santiago. poncini20 for Omer, and Josephm611 for Juliana.**

 **Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to AaronIris34, who has an amazing SYOT (its closed guys, sorry) but y'all can still go read it! The writing is amazing, and I have one tribute in there. So, yeah, like, y'all can go check that out. Right. Rambling again.**

 **to Reader Castellan: Aw, thanks! I'm glad I was able to portray him well! I can't say much more, I don't wanna spoil, but... I liked Haymitch too! (carefully avoided the spoiler, didnt I? ;) )**

 **to AgentWriter: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! Like I said, I dont wanna spoil anything, but yeah, Law and Siobhan are gonna be a deadly pair, aren't they? I liked Anna and Kyle too! And your crossover was amazing! Hope the chapter was good!**

 **to Josephm611: Thank you so much! I'm really glad i could portray him well, he is an amazing character! And I'm glad Blake stood out! Hopefully I did well with Absalom in this chapter! Do tell me your thoughts on how I portrayed him!**

 **to Sab: Yes it was, wasnt it? I'm happy you liked that moment, because I liked writing it! Well, I'm utterly and completely bad at romance and stuff, so I have no idea, but hehe. Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **to Mystical Pine forest: Thanks for understanding. Hope I did well with Gigi and Lisette! :)**

 **to santiago. poncini20: Thanks! I'm glad I portrayed Almiro well! And I'm glad you liked Blake and Frankie! Hehe, Shaunya and Alex made me crack up too. Thanks for understanding! Hope I did well with Hartley! :)**

 **to deny: Really? THANKS! I'm glad you liked the tributes! Hope this chapter was good too! :)**

 **to MidnightRaven323: Aw, thanks for the compliment! Made me feel really nice :) I loved writing about Haymitch too, he's one of my favorite characters in the whole series. Thanks and I hope this chapter was good!**

 **to Sally the Lioness: Thanks so much! I felt bad for her too. I'm glad I portrayed them well! I liked the moment too. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story.**

 **to Embers to Ashes: Ta da! You didnt have to wait the whole time. Hope this chapter was good! Please tell me how I did with Isaac! I actually love writing Pre-Games stuff. But yeah, hope the chapter was good!**

 **to maliceismyname: it's okay! Thanks so much for your consistent reviews! I'm glad you liked it! Well, I didn't make you guys wait the whole way. Thanks for the wishes, and I hope this chapter was good! :)**

 **to Guest: Aw, thank you so MUCH! It made me feel so nice! And thanks for the suggestion! I'll keep it in mind surely! Hope the chapter was good!**

 **I will a poll up on my profile, by tomorrow, so y'all can go vote. Please do! This is imperative for deciding both the winners and the people who will die in the bloodbath. You guys can vote up to four choices, and please, be impartial, be honest, and dont vote for your own tribute. I know, it's hard not to, but its a request on my part. This isnt the only poll I'll put up before te Bloodbath, so dont worry. Yeah. Please vote! :)**

 **Right. I know it's been long. But I wanted to give you guys this. Tell me your thoughts about it! I love hearing from you guys! Thanks to everyone who's consistently reviewed, it means SO MUCH! And if you havent, well, it means a lot just having your tribute in. So yeah. THANKS SO MUCH YOU GUYS!**

 **Yeah. You guys are awesome. Last thing Imma say.**

 **Until next time then! :)**


	18. Chariot Rides

**Chariot Rides:**

 **Dominique "Nick" Noell (16) – D7 Female:**

A scream escaped my lips. "STOP!" I yelled. The searing heat seemed to engulf me. Every inch of my body seemed to be on fire. Pain. That's all I felt. I wanted to cry, to protest against this inhumane torture, but I was helpless. I couldn't stop it. What was the torture, you ask?

Getting prepped by my prep team.

Haunting squeals tore at my ears. These bozos simply wouldn't stop shrieking. I screamed again as a whole chunk of hair was ripped off from my leg. Why oh why did I have to go through this?

I had been scrubbed and washed until my skin felt raw. My prep team had just about fainted when they'd seen me with dirt all over my face and my grimy clothes sticking to my thin figure. After the bath session began the real torture. You know how it feels to have hot wax rubbed onto your bare skin with an even hotter knife?

Bad. That's what it feels like.

"Oh sweetie, we can't let you go out there with this!" one of the prep team people said, pointing towards my leg. I gave her my best I'm-gonna-get-you-after-this-is-over look, but she seemed unfazed by my death glare. These people were weird. Her name was Cassie, I'd think. Yeah. Cassie was the one with the golden curls and butterfly eyelashes. I'm not kidding. Each of her eyelashes was in the shape of a butterfly. Even looking at her blink was painful.

The other two were two twins (as far as I could figure) named Ruby and Emerald. Ruby's skin was dyed completely red, with red hair and red eyes. I hoped to every god above that those were contacts. Emerald was the same, except with green. If I didn't know better, I could've sworn I'd seen these people somewhere. Probably in one of my nightmares, where they had been trying to torture me into wearing those murder weapons they called heels.

"Now now, Dominique, we want you to look pretty for the Capitol, don't we? Trust me, dear girl, I can think of so many ways to make you look like an angel!" Cassie said. Her eyes went wide, and my heart went thump. I knew that look. She'd had another idea. She turned to Ruby and Emerald. "Oh my gods, we could like, totally have her wear stilettos! Five-inch, I'd say! And like, we could dye her hair a bright green, you know, for all that tree stuff! Or maybe we could have her wear a wig! Oh my gosh, my head is bursti-"

By this time, I'd had enough. I threw away the covers and leapt out of bed. I was covered in a thing hospital gown, which hung off my body loosely. I grabbed the first thing I saw, which happened to be a pair of scissors. I held them up in front of me, defensively. Ruby shrieked, while Emerald and Cassie just looked frightened. "Young lady! Put that thing down this instant!" Cassie ordered.

I rolled my eyes. "Listen up, lady. I am not wearing five inch nothings. I am not dyeing my hair any color. And I am definitely not wearing a wig. And ENOUGH WITH THE YOUNG LADY FOR GOODNESS SAKE!" I yelled.

For a moment, nothing happened. The three of them just looked at me like I'd literally dropped from outer space. I fought the urge of throwing back my head with an evil laughter and saying 'take me to your leader puny earthlings!'

Then they started laughing. I wondered if they were laughing at me, when Ruby spoke up "Oh my god, Nick, like, you're so spunky! I know the capitol will like, adore you! But honey, we can't have you go out without looking good." She said. I hardened my gaze.

"But don't worry! We won't do anything you don't like!" she added quickly. The other two nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with her words. I cautiously moved forward, but I didn't really have a choice. sat back down on the bed and glared at them. "No wigs, no dyeing, no torture. One more time you bring that knife close to me, I swear I'll jump off the roof, force field or no. I refuse to die at the hands of some hippie stylists." I stated.

And so there I was. Half an hour later. My entire body hair ripped away. I was still in the same hospital gown, waiting for my stylist. My bitten-to-stubs nails had been covered by longer, artificial ones. My bangs had been flung heavily onto my eyes. My prep team had stuck to their words and used some sticky strips instead of the hot wax. It hurt, but it didn't feel like complete torture. And they'd refrained from any artificial… enhancements, for lack of better word.

The door opened. I jumped up from my place, and peered closely to the person who would create my first impression in the Capitol. I expected some new capitol miracle. I did NOT expect this.

My stylist was a young lady in her mid-thirties. The first thing I thought when I saw her was 'poodle'.

That's clearly what she was dressing up as. Two balls of tuft covered what were supposed to be her ears. Two antennae suck out of her head, holding more tuft-balls. I supposed her stylist hadn't bothered to point out that dogs didn't have antennae. Her dress went down to her knees, and was made out of the same fluffy material. And it was all so pink.

"Aww, aren't you like the cutest thing ever!" She squealed, like I was some cute puppy she'd spotted. She ran over and yanked my cheek. Hard. "Oh my goodness, a tree won't do with you, will it? Well, yeah, sure, you're not the prettiest thing, but you sure are cute! I know just what to do with you! I had this planned out, but I had the tree standby in case I got an ugly tribute! But you and your district partner aren't ugly at all! Oh my gosh, I'm like, so excited!" she ended her monologue with a high pitched scream. She flapped her hands and jumped up and down. I could only stare. I wondered with a touch of horror what this lady had planned for me.

"Oh by the way, call me Poodle, okay? Don't you just love my outfit!? It's so pink! My favorite color! I'd put you in something similar, but you're from Seven, so I can't. Don't worry though! You're dress is something just as good! Gosh, I'm so excited!" she shrieked again.

Before I could tell her that there was no way in hell that I'd put on a dress, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the adjacent room, where my costume awaited. I groaned, but I didn't think she'd heard me. She was going on about some bird. A pea-coon? A pea-can? Something of the sort.

This was going to be a long day.

 **Lisette Osborn(12)- D6 Female:**

The noise of the tributes talking filled my ears. I wanted to go hide in a corner, but I stayed where I was. Seeing so many people around me was a little overwhelming. I took deep breaths to calm myself. Beside me, Otto was rapidly trying to fix his tie. He looked pretty good in his suit.

All the tributes had gathered in the Remake centre, adding some last minute touches to their costumes. Every single tribute was present here. It gave me the heebedabajeebies just thinking about the fact that if I had to return to my family, all of them would die. My stylist Chandelier was adding some extra blush to my cheeks; she said it made me look more the cute girl I was. Otto's stylist Cantor was fixing up his tie, which seemed like it refused to stay perfect.

We were dressed after some ancient fairytale. Chandelier had told me the story. It had been about a girl who'd been ill treated by her step mother and two step-sisters. Finally, though, after a fairy godmother gave the girl a beautiful dress and glass slippers, she went to a ball and fell in love with the prince, who loved her back. She'd fled from the place because the magic which gave her the pretty dress was fading, but she'd left a glass slipper behind. And using that, the prince had sought her out.

It had sounded like one of the stories Mother used to tell me when I was younger. I was dressed as the princess, in her pretty dress. My dress was a pale blue, fitting above the waist and frilling out below. It looked soft and sweet, just the angle I was pulling off. It was really pretty, but the only problem I had was the glass slippers. They were really uncomfortable. Our chariot was the girl's carriage, in which she'd come to the ball. Apparently it'd been fashioned from a pumpkin (go figure), so our chariot was shaped like one too. Well, the bottom half of one. It was a hemisphere, a blue one at that. Otto was the charioteer, and he was dressed in a smart tuxedo that made him look really adorable and young for his age. My hair was left open, and a small tiara was placed on my head. I smiled. I couldn't have asked for a better costume.

I took a look around, at all the other people present there. I took in every singly costume, and none failed to surprise me. I'd remembered all their names from the Reapings, but now, everyone looked so... different.

District One was dressed in regal robes of a king and queen. Almiro had on the royal clothes that I'd seen in pictures of kings. A huge crown sat atop his head. A red cape with designs imprinted on it with red glitter was tied to his neck, and flowed all the way back. He held a six foot long staff in his hand, at the top end of which, sat the biggest diamond I'd ever seen. It practically gave off an aura of light. His expression was hard and he looked every bit the king he was supposed to be. Regina Anna was dressed in a beautiful red gown, much like Almiro's. It had frilly sleeves and a straight neck line that showed off her prominent collar bones. Her lips had been highlighted with red lipstick. Her hair was pulled into a beautiful updo, with curly strands hanging out here and there.

District Two wasn't anything less. I'd heard from Chandelier they were supposed to be modeled after warriors of an ancient race called Egyptians. I remembered learning about them in school. Lawson held what I recalled as a crook and flail, both made purely of gold. A king's headgear adorned his head. He was dressed like a traditional Egyptian warrior, with golden battle armor and sandals. His hair had been left fairly natural, but I could see the glittering makeup on his face, which added to the whole brave-and-fearless warrior look. Siobhan wasn't any less, in her flowing yellow gown that seemed to be embroidered with pure golden threads. Her hair had been done with golden ribbons, and her eyes had been deeply lined with kohl, which brought out their blueness greatly. She held a long staff in her hand, and looked around with a confident expression. I didn't blame her. She spotted me looking and leaned towards Law to whisper something. I didn't pick up what they were saying, but they both burst out laughing. Embarrassed, I looked away.

District Three seemed fresher this year. Gigabyte and Isaac were dressed in dark dresses, Gigabyte's going down to her knees, which Isaac was in a dark shirt and slightly lighter pants. Thin tubes ran along their bodies. Blue lights raced around in those tubes, making it look like a swirling vortex was being worn by the two tributes. Gigabyte's red hair had been woven with similar lights, and Isaac's arms were being adorned y armbands holding the same. With so much swiveling lights, they were bound to catch the Capitol's attention. Their makeup wasn't understated either. Gigabyte's eyes were heavily shadowed with blue glitter eye-shadow the same color as the lights. Isaac's hair had been streaked with blue, which he seemed pretty happy about, so it must have just been temporary. They looked amazing.

District Four stood close enough for me to listen to their conversation. As I turned my eyes towards them, I gasped. They looked breathtaking. Anna had on a sleeveless dress, while Kyle wore a white shirt with a cape flowing back. It wasn't the type of dress they wore though. It was the dress itself. From what I could make out, the dress was made of two layers of fabric, the first outer one being transparent, and the second inner one being an opaque blue. Between the fabrics, was real water. I could see the flow when Anna moved. I could see the bubbles when Kyle shook his cape. The fabric must've been waterproof. The water was a sparkling blue, made even better by the opaque blue fabric between which it flowed. It almost seemed to sparkle. And the tributes who wore these amazing dresses looked amazing themselves. Anna was beautiful, with her dark skin and sweet features. Kyle was simply gorgeous with his blond hair and green eyes. Kyle's cheeks were tinged with red. "You look pretty." He said to Anna, smiling, though his red cheeks slightly embarrassed way of saying it was really cute. Anna let out a soft, musical laugh. "Well thank you, Kyle." She said. "but I have a feeling the Capitol will have a hard time looking away from you." The two of them looked at each other for a moment before bursting out into mirthful laughter. I couldn't hide a smile.

District Five stood nearest to me. If the tributes wanted to look intimidating, I could hand it to them, they certainly did. Frankie and Raymond were dressed in jet-black outfits. Frankie's dress was fitting and went till her ankles. Her eyes were shadowed with dark eye shadow, which brought out the startling gray in them. Her brown bangs fell into her face, and her hair had been left natural. Raymond's hair had been spiked up, and his glasses had been replaced with gray contacts, the same color as Frankie's. But their dresses were the most intimidating part. Wires ran the whole length of their bodies, embedded in the dark fabric of their dresses. Actual electricity sparked off them. I supposed it was fake, but it looked plenty real. Electric sparks cackled throughout their bodies, frying the near air. I didn't know what the dress was made of, but it must have been an insulating material, because Frankie and Raymond didn't seem too bothered.

She seemed frustrated. She was desperately trying to keep her hair out of her face, but it kept falling back into it. She let out a groan of annoyance. "Can I help?" came a soft voice. I looked to see Dane Evans standing beside her, holding out a clip with a feather stuck on it. Frankie glared at him, but didn't say anything. She must've realized it was fruitless, trying to push her hair away with her long lightning-painted nails. She simple looked away. Dane took that as a yes and walked over. He gently brushed her hair away from her face and clipped it back. "Better now?" he said. It was so innocent and held such true concern, I couldn't help but wonder how this guy had managed to win the games. Frankie nodded. He grinned, obviously pleased with himself. I couldn't help but giggle.

Frankie turned to face me sharply. "What is it?" she snapped. I simply smiled. "You look really nice." I told her. She seemed taken aback by my statement. "Uh, yeah… cool…" she stuttered. Dane laughed. He turned towards me. "That's Frankie for 'thank you'." He informed me. He grinned and knelt down in front of me. "And that's something I can say for you too, young lady. You look absolutely beautiful. Just like one of those princesses from the stories I read as a kid." He said. I smiled wider. Dane bowed low in front of me. "My lady." He said in a respectful voice. He took my hand and bowed his head down, kneeling once again. "Princess Lisette." He said. I let out another giggle.

"Hey." A voice called out. My eyes fell on Gigabyte, the lights on her dress making me slightly dizzy. She marched up to Dane, who stood up, and faced her, looking slightly confused. She didn't seem to care. "Dane Evans, right? No, wait, don't answer that. The whole country knows you. Well, yeah, you. The thing is, my best friend back home, Jaymee, she has like, the biggest crush ever on you. And I promised her I'd tell you. So next time you're giving an interview or something, 'cause I know you do that all the time, just like, address her, would ya? It'd make her feel good." Gigabyte finished. Dane seemed shocked into silence. I laughed once more at his surprised expression. This time, Frankie joined me, which was probably the first sign of something happy I'd seen from her. "That's Dane for 'okay'" she told Gigabyte, echoing Dane's words. The female tribute from Three flashed Dane a threatening look before walking back to her own chariot. Dane gave me one more unsure smile before going back to his. I turned my attention to the other tributes.

District Seven looked amazing. They were dressed in dark green suits, with brown vines snaking up the bodice. Nick's dress fell till her knees, and her messy, boy-cut hair had been left natural, giving her a cute, elfish look. The vines originated from behind her neck, and came forward to run down the length of her fitting dress. She seemed like she wanted to personally murder her stylist for putting her in a dress, but wasn't able to tell her amidst the whole stylist-going-crazy-over-last-minute-fixings. Absalom had on a dark green shirt and pants, and the vines went from his ankles to his neck, wrapping themselves around his arms. His hair had been spiked up into intricate yet somewhat messy looking spikes. But that wasn't the most eye-catching part. Behind them, like the plumage of a bird I'd read as a pea-cock, spread a fan of thousands of leaves. It was wrapped around their waists with yet another vine. I understood the concept. Each leaf was like a feather, and the whole thing was the peacock's plumage. It looked beautiful.

District Eight scared the living daylights out of me. Not their dresses, but the tributes themselves. Bellona seemed so sly and deadly, I had no doubt she'd be one of the first people to kill in the Games. But if Bellona was frightening, Ruben tripled that ten times over. Ruben eyed every tribute with a maniacal look in his eye, as though he were gauging the best and most torturous way to kill them. Bellona's dress was layer upon layer of a netted fabric, but there were so many layers, it created an opaque dress material. Ruben's shirt was the same, and his pants were blood red satin. His stylist must've picked up on his personality. He caught my eye and smiled what I could only describe as the most twisted smile I'd ever seen.

I quickly looked away at District Nine. Avena and Hartley looked really good. Avena was in a beautiful ball gown, and Hartley wore a beige tuxedo. On looking closer, I could see that their dresses were studded with all different sorts of grains. It was uniformly different colors, which added to the beauty. Avena's ice blue eyes were brought out greatly by the amazing eye-makeup she'd done. It was different shades of brown. Her blond hair was woven into thin braids with pieces of grain. Hartley's dark skin contrasted amazingly with the light colored suit he wore, and the sullen expression I'd seen him wear at the Reapings seems to have slipped into one of curiosity. He was examining the tributes much like myself.

I searched for District Ten, but I couldn't find them. Well, looked like not all the tributes were present here. I looked at District Eleven, but they were standing so far, and I couldn't see above all the tall people blocking my view. I simply shrugged and turned back to Otto. The chariot dresses this year were seriously eye-catching. I couldn't decide which would catch people's eyes more. I opened my mouth to ask Otto which tribute's costume he liked best, when he looked past me and his eyes went wide. I turned and followed his gaze, and gasped.

Because just then, District Ten walked in.

 **Evangeline Scott (12)-District Twelve Female**

Everyone looked at the latecomers. I had been a little mesmerized by the amazing dresses all around me, so it took me a while to notice them. When I finally did, I couldn't hide a smile. They looked so amazing! Sure, there were some dresses here more beautiful than theirs, but something about the two simply drew your attention towards them. That might not have been good for them. I could see the careers shoot them angered looks. It wasn't as if they would be the only ones noticed, all the tributes had on breathtaking dresses. But the careers didn't like anyone having attention other than themselves. I didn't know about the rest, but the tributes from Two were glaring at the ones from Ten.

The boy from Ten, Colt, I think his name was, laughed nervously. "Hey, why'd everybody suddenly stop to stare at us? We're not aliens you know. And even if we were," he made an extremely straight face, losing all his previous smiley-ness and said, "Earthlings, we come in peace. No need to fear us. We have not come to kill-" he was cut off by his district partner jabbing him in the side with her elbow. She gave him a look that clearly said _shut up_.

The two of them were wearing completely white dresses. The girl's dress was a simple white one that went till her knees. On looking closer, I saw that it was covered with pure white feathers. Her eyes had been surrounded by glittering white eye-shadow, and her arms had silver armlets around them. Colt's outfit was similar, only his was a white feather-covered shirt and white pants. His hair had been left fairly natural. But the things that was magnificent about them was the wings that sprouted from their backs. I didn't know what mechanism that was, but it was clearly advanced. The wings flapped gently and gracefully, giving the impression of birds in motion. Each wing was bigger than me, but the weight didn't seem to bother even the girl, who didn't look all that much older than me. The boy gave everyone a shy yet somewhat mischievous grin as they walked over to their chariot.

Everyone looked away from them. It was time to line up for the rides. District Eleven stood in front of us. I'd seen their outfits first. They looked simply amazing. They wore dresses woven from straw, and strands of it still stuck out of April's neckline. Dwayne was wearing a cape made from that, and even his shirt seemed to be made of the same thing. They must've worn something underneath, for they didn't seem itchy at all. April's makeup was done in a soft beige color, so it looked pretty natural, yet beautiful. Dwayne's hair had been spiked up, and they both wore headbands made of straw. As they lined up for the chariots, April saw me looking and gave me an initial uneasy look. I smiled reassuringly at her. Seeming to catch herself, she smiled back.

We went to our chariot, Blake and I. We were dressed in skin-fitting black suits. Around our waists was a belt made from black gems. The belt had another function though, one we were saving for when we went out. My eyes were surrounded by coal-black eye-shadow, and when I had looked in the mirror, I found myself to be looking at least three years elder than what I actually was. Blake wasn't much different. His usual fine bone structure now due to makeup looked a little rugged and beat-up, as though he was used to intimidating people. His hair was swept over his face in an intricate fringe. As I looked closer, I realized that Blake was actually pretty good-looking. Sure he wasn't downright gorgeous like the bloke from Four, nor was he an eye-catcher like the one from Ten. But he definitely was good-looking.

Up ahead, the chariots started moving out. On a screen right above the exit, they showed the entire scene, as the first chariot went out. I mounted my own chariot, and so did Blake. He refused to look at me. I wondered for a moment whether I'd said something at some point to offend him. I really couldn't remember what. He always seemed to be angry with me, but I had no idea of the reason.

A loud noise brought me back to reality. The crowd went wild as District One came out into the open. With their king and queen thing, Almiro and Regina really did look regal. The crowd started hooting and whistling, but the two simply stared ahead, holding their heads up, aloof. Regina wasn't meeting anyone's eyes, but Almiro looked straight ahead at the Gamemakers. His expression was hard and emotionless.

District Two was next. As usual, the crowd loved them. The whole Egyptian-warrior thing was going well for them. They looked at the crowd with confident, yet deadly expressions, letting them know that they were going to be some of the biggest threats in the arena. Many roses were thrown at them, and they responded by raising their weapons to the crowd in a symbol of honor and dignity.

District Three's vortex of lights was greeted with oohs and aahs. Gigi and Isaac smiled and waved at the crowd, and Gigi even took a bow. The crowd adored it. They threw all sorts of things, and Gigi caught one of the flowers, Isaac one of the hats. They grinned widely and went on.

District Four practically made the audience faint. I could almost see the ladies swooning over Kyle, as he gave them a dazzling smile. Anna waved shyly at the crowd and gave her own pretty smile. As the camera zoomed in, I could see them holding hands. I smiled to myself. Even the crowd noticed, and the noise just got louder. The water in their dresses sparkled like nothing I had ever seen, making them look gorgeous as well as formidable.

District Five made its appearance to screams and cries. The electricity which shot off their bodies made the crowd go absolutely insane. Frankie and Raymond were a lot like Regina and Almiro, looking straight ahead with stone-hard expressions. They seemed intimidating, and dangerous. Even though Raymond was my age, he would clearly be a big threat. The crowd, from all its screaming, wasn't about to forget them very soon.

As District Six came out, the Capitol crowd burst into numerous _aww_ s. They clearly thought Lisette and Otto were adorable, with which I couldn't disagree. In fact, with that Charioteer costume, Otto did look pretty good. I felt my cheeks heating up. I quickly turned my attention back to the crowd. They seemed to find the idea of a princess and charioteer really adorable, because all sorts of flowers and kisses were blown their way.

District Seven was another to be greeted with cries of surprise and awe. Their beautiful leaf props, which resembled some sort of bird, was met with screams and even more flowers. As they went on ahead, the leaves seemed to fan out even more, getting louder cries from the audience. The boy looked straight ahead, and the girl did too. However, the boy maintained an expressionless face, which somehow came off as intimidating, while the girl was smirking. She did look at the crowd once or twice, to hold out her hand and let out whoops of joy.

District Eight, the district which probably scared me the most, was after them. Ruben simply smiled sadistically at the crowd, while Bellona looked at them in a charming manner. The crowd loved it. The loved sadistic and charming tributes, and this district showed both. They went wild, hooting and hollering, as the chariot went forward.

District Nine was also greeted in a similar manner. Avena and Hartley smiled and waved to the crowd, though I could tell Hartley's smile was forced. The Capitol loved them too. Avena suddenly reached up and caught what I presumed was a kiss, and the crowd went even wilder. She blew kisses to the crowd, and he simply smiled at them.

District Ten rolled in, and the crowd completely lost it. Their wings flapped slowly yet majestically, giving them an extremely graceful look. The camera showed at least a dozen ladies swooning, and many many others screaming. Colt grinned his mischievous yet charming smile, and held out his hands. Nova joined in by waving to the crowd and giving her own sweet smile. I think the Capitol just about emptied five dozen bouquets on them.

As District Eleven started cantering forward, I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. I was scared out of my wits. I had never faced such a huge crowd before. The crowd greeted Eleven with many kisses and flowers, and Dwayne and April looked like charming and sweet people, with their straw outfits. The two of them wouldn't stop waving to the crowd.

Finally it was our turn. As our horses started moving forward, I let out a little squeak. My hands were covered in sweat. I needed some support. Instinctively, I reached for Blake's hand. No sooner had my fingers brushed his, than he briskly pulled his hand away and glared at me. Tears stung my eyes, but I knew we had an audience to face. I simply forced them back and took a deep breath, trying to lessen my fear. I could do this.

We came out into the open.

Immediately, our belts did what they were meant for. From the part which covered out back, a shower of coal dust shot out, leaving the illusion of a dark fan behind us, not unlike the plumage of the District Seven tributes. Coal dust sprayed everywhere. I looked onto the screen to see that the two of us looked like Peacocks made of coal, with coal-dust plumages. At first the crowd was swept into a wave of silence.

Then they burst out into cheers. Roses came at me from everywhere. I looked to my side to see Blake flashing a charming smile at the crowd and holding out his hand towards them. Not exactly waving, but it seemed to please the capitol, so I went along. I copied his actions. A rose came at me from nowhere, and I caught it. Smiling softly, I tucked it behind my ear. The crowd went even crazier.

As we rolled into the final stage, the crowd finally quieted down. I looked back to see that the path of the chariots had been littered by innumerable roses and other luxury item. I looked at Blake for the third time, but he was staring ahead, at the President. It stung me that my district partner seemed to hate me for no absolute reason, but I followed his gaze all the same. It was time for the Presidential address.

President Leor stepped up to the microphone. He tapped it gently, and the sound reverberated around the whole place.

"Welcome, tributes of the Fifty Seventh Annual Hunger Games." He said in his deep voice. He smiled at us a smile that I could only describe as one a child would smile when he was given a new toy. That's all we were. Toys.

"I must take this opportunity to applaud you for your bravery and courage. May you go on to give us the best Games ever." He continued. Then he bent slightly forward, and his smile slipped into what was only recognizable as a sneer. He quickly shrugged it off and returned to his previous expression.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor."

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: YASS! I KNOW! CHARIOT RIDES ARE OVVVVEEERRR! HECK YEAH!**

 **And SERIOUSLY Y'ALL!? 203 REVIEWS!? LIKE, MY GOODNESS Y'ALL ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME IMMA PASS OUT LALALALALALALALA!**

 **Right. Calming down.**

 **I will first apologize to you guys. Now. Why am I apologizing? Because I have, with a heavy heart, might I add, decided to stop doing replies. If you ask me a question in your review, I will PM you the answer. PLEASE DON'T THINK I DO NOT VALUE YOUR REVIEWS! I cannot tell you guys how much I love your reviews. I aint even kidding. I almost cried. 200 crossed and the Games haven't even started? You guys are way too awesome! I seriously cannot apologize enough, but this is only because I want to get the chaptrrs out faster. I want to dedicate my entire free time to the story. I can promise y'all that I read every single review multiple times, and each and every single one means so much to me. :') Do forgive me.**

 **Also, shout out to Sab for being my** **200th reviewer! Thanks sooooo much, all of you! And another shout-out to AaronIris34, for the idea of the D2 dresses. My brain had been drained, so I really apreciated the help! :)))**

 **Once again, so sorry guys, for the replies thing. But, if y'all really want it, I can start it again! Tell me in your reviews, okay? Also, which costume was your favorite? If you want, you can list your top three. And lastly, if you havent already, do go vote on my profile, the poll is still open!**

 **Happy reading guys! Sorry again!**

 **Until next time then...**


	19. Training Day One

**Training Day 1:**

 **Regina Anna Pasternack(18)- D1 Female:**

My dream broke peacefully. It had been a pleasant dream about me getting awarded for coming up with a new computer software program. I'd just been going to the stage to receive the award I deserved, when my Escort's voice cut through it like a knife.

"RISE AND SHINE SWEETHEART!" Levee screeched. I groaned and shoved my hands over my ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Why in the world couldn't she be a little quieter? I shut my eyes tight and retreated into my covers to cherish the last few moments of sleep I had. Apparently Levee wasn't on good terms with my humble wish. I felt the covers being yanked off, and she started shaking my shoulders vigorously.

"Oh Regina, get up! It's training today! Up and at 'em!" she yelled in my ear. I pressed my hands tighter to the sides of my head, but she didn't stop. Being unable to bear it any longer, I leapt up from my position and scrambled to the other side of the bed. I kept my hands pressed over my ears. "Please leave. I don't like hearing screeching ladies when I wake up. I'll come when I get ready." I told her, my voice soft. I stared at the mattress, but I could feel her eyes on me. I squirmed in discomfort. I really didn't get the concept of eye-contact. It made me feel strange, and honestly, I could have done without it.

"Alright, then, Regina, but I want you at the breakfast table as fast as possible, hm, hun?" She patted my shoulders, making me flinch. It sent tingles down my skin, and I slid further from her, my hands still pressed to my head, my eyes still taking a very keen interest in the mattress. After a moment, I heard her footsteps retreating, the click-clacking of her heels being only too welcomed. I was glad to have her leave. I didn't like physical contact, loud noises or eye-contact. She'd made me suffer through all in the very first morning here in the Capitol.

Nevertheless, I knew she was correct. I needed to get ready. Sighing lightly, I slid my feet down to the plush wooden flooring of the Capitol floors. Strangely enough, the floor felt cool under the bare skin of my feet. I looked down at them, smiling softly. I wiggled my toes, feeling the cold floor better, and the feeling made me giggle softly. I decided to scrap my slippers.

I slowly got up from the bed, and stretched my arms above my head, letting a yawn escape me. Almost immediately, my mind wandered to my situation, and I shut my mouth, closing the yawn mid-way. I would meet the rest of the tributes today. I hated crowds. I would usually slink away, had it not been for Maeve. She would be beside me, and I'd bear the crowd for a while. However, now, I had no Maeve. I was on my own. And I would have to face everyone.

It was almost enough to make me lock my doors and refuse to go out. Then I remembered. I was in the Hunger Games. And I was going to get through it. On my own accord.

That determination was enough to push me forward, as I made my way over to the bathroom. I threw some water onto my sleepy face, and walked out, drying my cheeks with a fluffy white towel. Almost as if on cue, the door to my room opened, and a young boy walked in. He couldn't have been more than a year older than me, with strawberry blond hair and strangely icy blue eyes. I looked down at his feet, not wanting to meet his eyes. I could see him meekly shuffle over to my bed and place what I thought was an outfit onto the covers. I peered at the outfit. It was nothing too extravagant, in fact, it was a simple gray T-shirt and track pants. I was thankful for the simple suit this year. The gown I'd worn on the chariots had been so utterly itchy. But of course, that discomfort had been nothing compared to the discomfort of having an entire Capitol stare at you like you're a toy.

I looked at the boy's face, but didn't meet his eyes. "Thank you." I said softly. He didn't answer. I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, it's rude not answering when someone thanks you." I said. The corners of his lips turned up in a sad smile. He put on finger on his lips, and shook the other, which I recognized as a symbol of 'no'.

Ohhh… I remembered hearing something about them. They were called… Avoxes? Yeah, probably that. The Capitol had cut out their tongues. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Please leave so that I can change." I told him. He nodded and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

A few minutes later, I was outside, dressed in the training suit. I made my way over to the breakfast table, where Almiro, Venus and Golden were already occupying chairs. I didn't see Levee anywhere, for which I was glad. Almiro and Golden had occupied seats as far as possible from each other. My district partner's plate sat at a small distance away from him, leading me to believe he'd pushed it away. Venus smiled at me.

"Dear, we were just finishing up. You're a tad late. Of course, you can still eat, but we're heading down to the training room." She said. Almiro glanced up at me, making me once again avert my eyes. I caught a fleeting nod from him, though. I shook my head, answering Venus' question. "No, that's alright. I'm not feeling all that hungry. Plus, I don't really fancy such rich and heavy food. I like simple things to eat." I declared. Venus let out a sweet laugh.

"Well, alright then. Let's get going, shall we?" she said. No sooner had she finished, than I heard a chair being pushed away. I looked up to see Golden standing up from his seat. Almiro was glaring at him. He looked at Venus. "I'm outta here. You take these guys down." Venus let out a sigh at his words, but didn't say anything. Before leaving, Golden gave me a small reassuring smile. I reciprocated it. Then I looked at Venus.

"If you don't mind, I think we can go down by ourselves. I mean, it's only a floor, right? If I'm going into the Hunger Games on my own, I think I can find my way down a floor." I said. She laughed again, though I failed to see what was so funny. Nevertheless, mere minutes later, the elevator door was closing itself between the two of us and our escort. Venus gave us a thumbs-up, which I think stood for 'good luck'.

Being only one floor above the Training room, Almiro and I reached quickly. As the doors opened, I was overwhelmed for a moment by the sheer number of tributes who awaited us on the other side. Almost all of them turned to look at us, though some went their own way. Feeling everyone's eyes on me was mighty uncomfortable. I stepped back, but Almiro put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I didn't look at him, but tilted my head in his direction. "You don't want them to think you're weak. Come on, don't let them bother you." He whispered softly so that only I could hear. I took a deep breath and smiled at him.

We stepped out of the elevator just as the doors closed. I sighed, and took another step forward, when immediately I felt a person's arms being thrown around me. I was pulled into an extremely unwanted embrace, and started trying to squirm my way out of their reach. The person pulled away.

I found myself looking at an extremely pretty girl a little younger than me. Her wavy brown hair fell into messy yet fashionable waves down her shoulders. Her grin was from ear to ear. Behind her stood a tall boy with square shoulders and neatly down blond hair.

"Oh my gosh! You're so pretty! I was waiting for the District One girl to get here! I mean, I need at least some accompaniment in the career alliance! Gawsh, I can't wait to-"

I cut her off. "Excuse me, your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated and most kind, but I will not be joining the careers. And honestly, please, do give a warning before hugging people. Some of us don't appreciate it." I said. Her eyes grew wide and she stepped away. "Excuse me?" she seemed appalled by my refusal. Well, bad for her. I wasn't about to accept their alliance.

"You heard me correct. I will not be joining your alliance. The careers always turn out to be a nasty bunch of bloodthirsty idiots, and I have no desire to be included among them. I'm fairly sure you two will turn out the same way. I'm also sure Almiro will join y'all, and I wish him and you people luck for the future Games. But my answer is no. If I win these Games, I will do it on my own."

The girl narrowed her eyes at me. "You will win these Games?" She sneered. "Honey, let me inform you. By refusing us, you'd logically be a threat. But since I think you have no chance whatsoever, and you'll probably die in the bloodbath, I won't waste my time on you. But trust me. If we meet in the games, you'll wish you hadn't refused us." She snarled the last few words. I backed up, if only to start moving to another station.

I looked back at where the three of them stood. Almiro was watching me with a surprised look, the girl with a disgusted one, and the boy with an amused one. I shrugged. "Your threats don't scare me."

 **Kyle 'Kai' Daniels(18)- D4 Male:**

As I waited for the elevator to come back up from the ground floor, I observed my reflection in the polished silver surface of the closed Elevator doors. My blond hair just wouldn't stay down, no matter how much I combed it. Frustrated, I flicked it back to its usual messy fringe over my eyebrows. Beside me, Anna laughed.

"If you know you're never gonna get it, why'd you even try? And besides, it doesn't matter too much, does it?" She smiled. I grinned back. "Yeah, I know. I just don't wanna seem like a bedraggled Zombie in front of the other careers." I replied. She shook her head with another laugh as the elevator doors opened up. We stepped inside, and I could see Anna's smile crack. She was putting on a cavalier and carefree façade, but I could tell she was freaked out by this whole situation. She had a bizarre idea that the careers would kick her out and hunt her down. Despite of me assuring her that it wouldn't happen, she refused to listen. As I saw the numbers tick down, I reached over and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at me with a smile, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

Before I could say anything else, the doors opened, revealing to us the training centre. I stepped out and took a look around. The tributes had pretty much all assembled, though I spotted the absence of the bloke from Eight. Then again, he probably wouldn't come all together. I didn't mind. His glares gave me the creeps. Almost everyone was bustling around nervously, waiting for the head trainer Atala to address us. My eyes searched the whole place for our allies.

I noticed the girl from One standing against a wall by herself, looking deep in thought. Seemed like I was right about her not being part of the careers. As I kept looking, tributes who caught my eye were the boys from Seven and Ten, along with the pair from Nine and the girl from Five. The Five girl, whose name escaped me, saw me looking at her and scowled. I simply raised my eyebrow and looked away. I didn't have time for her attitude. I had more important things to do.

Finally, I spotted them. It took me a while, which was surprising, because the careers were usually the loudest of the lot. It seemed to be a small lot, consisting of the boys from One and Two, along with the girl from Two. Well, obviously. They wouldn't go ahead and take in somebody else before I came in.

I walked up to them, Anna in tow. She'd been surprisingly quiet this whole time. The girl from two, Siobhan, spotted us first. Her face broke into a huge grin. "Well about time! Gods, we thought you wouldn't come at all! I'm Siobhan, by the way." She said, holding out a hand. I smiled back and shook it. "Kai Daniels." I said. Anna smiled shyly. "Hey guys." She said. Siobhan glanced at her, then looked at me skeptically.

"She's with us." I confirmed. Siobhan looked unsure at first, but she shook it off. She hugged Anna and pulled away with a loud laugh. "Well, at least I get one other girl! Man, it gets lonely with all guys." She told Anna jokingly. I turned my attention to the boys. I looked at the one from One first. "Almiro, right?" I asked, holding out my hand. He nodded. "Almiro Fitzroy." He said, giving my hand a polite shake.

Finally, I looked at the boy from Two, who had been observing me carefully till now. Somehow, though, I didn't feel the same sort of friendliness towards him that I did Siobhan and Almiro. He paused for another moment before putting on a smirk. "Well, thankfully this year's Fours are proper. Last year was terrible." He said. He didn't offer me a handshake, which I honestly had no problem with. I matched him in height, though he seemed more well-built than I was. However, I could see the arrogance in his eyes.

"Lawson Dean." He said simply. "But you can call me The Law."

I set my jaw. "Right then, _Lawson_. Good to meet you." I enunciated his name carefully, letting him know I wasn't someone to be bossed around. He didn't take kindly to that. He stepped closer to me, his gaze slightly unsettling. "Is there a problem?" he sneered. I wasn't about to back out of this. I was going to be the leader of the careers, and he wasn't going to stop me. I held my ground and looked right into his eyes, matching his look. "I could ask you the same." I retaliated.

I could almost sense the air of tension between us. "Uh guys…?" Siobhan put in weakly. Neither of us looked away. Law's sneer turned to a glare, since he'd probably figured out the fact that I was his equal in every way, and that I wasn't some random weakling he could stare down. My teeth grit against each other, and I wasn't blinking. "Let me tell you, _Kai_ , the Male tribute from two is usually the Leader of the Careers." Law stated, his voice holding an undertone of threat. He was threatening me, telling me that challenging his words wouldn't be good. Well, too bad for him, because I planned on doing just that.

"Yeah? Well, there's always an exception. I say it's time we step out of the norm." I replied snarkily. This guy may have been intimidating, but he wasn't going to beat me. He stepped even closer, his eyes holding a whole lot more anger than I'd expected. "Well-"

"Alright Tributes, listen up!" Atala's loud voice cut us off. Law didn't immediately step away, but after Atala cleared her throat, he did so. The tension didn't dissipate, but the danger of an actual fistfight, which had been impending was avoided. As Atala began her speech, I zoned out. I already knew this stuff, we learnt it in our academy.

Anna stepped up beside me. I could feel her eyes on my face, so I turned to look at her. Her expression was one of concern. "What happened?" I whispered to her, not keen on being spotted by Atala. We slowly slunk to the back of the group. "I don't think you should pick up a fight with Lawson." She whispered back.

I cocked my head to a side. "Anna, I deserve to be the leader of the career pack. Not him. And I'm not afraid of him." I reassured her. Anna's concerned look didn't fall. She seemed reluctant about letting the subject drop. For some reason, it felt nice to know that my district partner cared about me.

A few moments later, Atala ended her speech, and the tributes once again dispersed. I noticed the Seven boy head over to the edible plants station, which slightly confused me. I'd expected him to go to weaponry. The pair from Nine were at the knife throwing station, along with the boy from Ten. I could tell from the way he held the knives that he had some experience in the matter. I made a mental note to aim for him.

Siobhan, Lawson and Almiro walked up to us again. Lawson regarded me coldly, but I took to looking at Siobhan. "So?" I asked, "Any plans for today?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we've got something." I rolled my hand in a _go on_ gesture. "We were thinking," she continued, "that today we should probably hone our talents with weapons, and maybe pick up a few things of survival too. Tomorrow we can decide the additions to the careers. Speaking of which, do you have anyone in mind?"

I thought for a moment. "The guy from Seven seems strong. And the girl from Eight could definitely be a valuable ally. But I'm not sure if I trust them enough. Maybe we should just keep it limited to us." I suggested. Lawson laughed a bitter laugh. "That's a stupid idea. If we keep the career alliance small, the other tributes can gang up on us. Larger numbers means greater strength. And we'll be able to kill them off when they outlive their value."

I gaped at him. I considered yelling, but managed to catch myself. I took a deep breath and answered in a low voice. "That's literally the most disgraceful idea I've ever come across. There's no way I'm gonna bring in someone to manipulate them and betray them. And strength lies in skills, not numbers."

"You callin' me stupid?" Lawson challenged. He began stepping forward, when Siobhan intervened, putting a hand on his chest. She gave me a meaningful look. Then she turned to Law. "Law, how about we go over to the bow and arrow section. You're not all that good with those, right? Come on then, no harm in picking up some more talents." Her tone made it clear she wasn't about to take no for an answer. He gave me another glare before walking away, followed closely by Siobhan.

Almiro looked at me strangely. I raised my eyebrow at him, asking the reason. He shook his head. "I think I'll head over to the sword station. Care to join?" he asked. I looked at Anna. "What'll you do?"

She shrugged. "I'm going to the medic station. Someone out of all the careers needs to know that stuff. Wouldn't help if y'all bleed out, right?" she said. She flashed me a smile and nodded at Almiro before walking off towards the said station. I looked back at Almiro. I liked him a lot more than Law. This guy didn't have an arrogant air around him. I grinned. "No harm done, right? Let's go."

 **Hartley Butterwell(18)-D9 Male:**

The butcher's knife felt familiar in my hands. I was used to a sickle, but this thing wasn't too different from my usual weapon. I turned to the dummy beside me. In a swift motion, I hacked down the left arm. It sent a jolt down my hand, due to the impact, but I felt slightly pleased with myself. The cut on the dummy was crude, but it would hurt them nonetheless.

Wait, what? Was I actually planning someone's death? How did I come to be so cruel. There was no way I was going to end up like my mother. I hated myself for even considering killing any of these guys, but I knew what had to be done. I didn't live in a safe little bubble. I knew life as it was. If Life was being a jerk and was sending me into the Games, I knew I would have to murder in order to get back home.

My grip on the knife had tightened so much, my knuckles were turning white. I sat down hard on a nearby seat. I looked around at the numerous people would eventually have to kill.

The pair from Two were at the archery station, and though the girl seemed to be really good at it, it clearly wasn't the boy's thing. I remembered there being some sort of… unrest, between him and the boy from Four. Speaking of whom, I spotted him and the guy from One at the sword-fighting station, and I could tell they'd be tough adversaries. Both of their swords clashed against each other as they fought. The One boy seemed to be going on brute strength and power, while the guy from four seemed to be more of skill.

The girls from One and four were at survival stations, so I didn't know whether or not they'd be in the careers. The girl from three was at the axe-throwing station, along with the spunky girl from Seven. The guy from Seven was at a survival station too, which was a tad surprising, considering his build. I'd thought he's go to weaponry. Some little ones were at the knot-tying station.

I sighed and returned to my own training. I wanted to gain as much skill as I could. I was already good with sickles, being from Nine and all, but I wanted to ace the knife too. Figuring I'd had enough to do with hand-to-hand, I walked over to the knife-throwing station, picking up a few small knives from the ones that were available. The little girl from Ten was throwing knives beside me, on the target adjacent to mine. Her partner wasn't here, but she didn't seem to care.

One after another, her knives went sailing to the target. They didn't hit bullseyes, but she was good for her age. I almost felt bad for her. Pity, she obviously wouldn't make it too far. I wouldn't be surprised if she were taken out in the bloodbath. I turned a knife in my hands and aimed at the target. I let the knife sail.

It didn't hit the centre, but it hit the circle one outside of it. Satisfied, I selected another sleek yet small knife and was about to throw it when a voice stopped me.

"You know, if you hold it like that, you'll never hit the centre."

It was the little girl, the one from Ten. Nova? Yeah, Nova. She looked at me skeptically. "So? I just offered you some advice. Aren't you gonna even say thank you?" she asked. I scowled. I didn't like little kids who were so snarky. And I didn't need her help. I was fine by myself.

"First off, tone down that attitude. Secondly, I don't need your help. I'm doing fine on my own, thank you very much. I don't need the advice of a cocky twelve-year-old, so no thank you. And keep your nose out of other people's business from now on, okay?" I snapped back at her. Momentarily, she seemed a little shocked. Then, as I watched, the shock changed to anger.

"Listen up Mister Perpetually Depressed," she said, walking up to me. She only came up to my chest, so she had to tilt her head up a lot to look me in the eye. But though she was short, she made up for it by another meter of attitude. "I'm just offering you some advice that could save your damned life. If you don't want it, fine, shove off, I don't care. There's no need to be so freaking rude and arrogant about it, get me?" her voice rose with each word. By the end, she was as near to yelling as could be without actually screaming. I was getting increasingly annoyed by her behavior. "And for the record, I'm thirteen, not twelve." She concluded in that rude way of hers.

I'd had enough. Instead of listening to me and shutting up, this little girl seemed like she was actually challenging me. I glared at her. She smirked. "What, you gonna fight me?" she challenged. I almost wanted to laugh. This kid was actually speaking up to me? However, I wasn't about to let her go with talking to me like that. I started walking over to her, where she stood with her hands on her hips, ready to show her what arguing with me meant. She looked at me with a defiant eye, rooted to her place.

"Yeah, yeah, come on, bring it on! I aint afraid of you!" she yelled. I'd almost reached her, and was about to teach her a lesson, when I found my path blocked by someone else.

"Woah woah woah, easy there mate. Easy. We don't want a nasty fight over here, do we" A nervous yet humorous laugh came from the person. I looked at their face to recognize the boy from Ten, Nova's district partner. Colt was holding up both his hands in a gesture for surrender and indirectly telling me to stop where I was. Though he wasn't showing it, I could see he was trying to stop me. Well, too bad for him, the girl deserved to be taught a lesson.

But with Colt blocking my way, I couldn't reach her. Colt stood at my height, and his stance told me he was ready for a fight. "Hey, man, let's not take whatever she said to heart, okay? I mean, man, come one. She's thirteen, you're what, eighteen? That's a Five year difference. Besides, we don't want to get into any nasty business and have Peacekeepers over here to punish out sorry butts, do we?" the boy said, good-naturedly. I scowled at him.

"You should tell your district partner to know what to speak and when. No one insults me like that. She should really bring down that attitude." I snapped. He gave me a hey-man-they're-kids-we-gotta-understand smile. I glared harder. Behind him, Nova glared back at me. However, taking into account that Colt meant no harm, I stepped back. Colt visibly heaved a sigh of relief. Then he brought on his old goofy grin back. He looked around at everyone. I hadn't realized people had stopped their work to look at us. Probably looking for some entertainment. Pathetic. Colt laughed again.

"Man, do I really look that weird? All of you guys have literally stopped your training to look at us." He said, putting a hand on Nova's shoulder. Some people laughed at his statement, though most just cracked a small smile. Everyone went back to their training, though. I shot Colt another glance. "You better warn that partner of yours. I wouldn't want to be the one to have initiated her cannon."

Colt gave me an uneasy grin, but I could tell from Nova's expression I'd gotten to her. Glaring at her once more, I walked away from the knife throwing session, having had enough of attitude for a long time. I made my way over to the fire-making station. It was time to pick up on some survival skills.

 **Avena Larson(17)- D9 Female:**

The edible plants station was annoying me. I simply couldn't remember all the names of the plants. I kept confusing the berries, and the leaves made my head feel like exploding. Frustrated, I chucked some leaves away from the table I was currently trying to bust my head on, and pounded my fist against it. "Gods, why does this stuff have to be so difficult!?" I exclaimed.

"I could offer some help if you want." A small voice called out from behind me. I groaned. "I don't need any help. Go away." I snapped. Apparently my words were foreign, because I heard footsteps approaching me. I turned to see the girl from Twelve, the little one, smiling up at me. I raised an eyebrow. "What?" I asked. She chuckled.

"You were having some problems with the plants, so I thought I'd help out." She said, walking over to where I was almost about to rip out my hair. She was a sweet-looking little kid with big childlike eyes and wavy hair. Her heart-shaped face almost radiated mirth. I couldn't help but lessen my scowl. When she saw that, her grin spread further across her face. Seeing that, I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Man, you look like I just accepted the biggest business offer you had to give. What's with the huge grin, kid?" I asked. She giggled. "Sorry, it's just, you're probably the only person so far who's been nice to me. My district partner's always angry with me for some reason, and the other tributes regard me like I'm a bloodbath. I may be one of the youngest here, but I'm not a bloodbath!" she finished her rant with a sigh. "Sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you like this. I just wanted to help you out with this stuff." She added, looking down.

I felt bad for the kid. She seemed really sweet and helpful, but I knew why the other tributes were brushing her off. She was way too innocent to be making it too far. However, anything the careers did, I was against. On top of that, this kid was agreeing to help me. It couldn't have done too much harm to listen, could it?

"Your district partner?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me and nodded. "He seems like a nice boy, but I must've done something to offend him, because he's always angry with me. I don't know what I've done, but it must've been something really _really_ bad." She started fiddling with a leaf on the table as I scanned the place for her said District partner. I spotted him near the knives section. He was currently sparring with a trainer, and I couldn't help but notice that he really was good. I also couldn't help but notice the fact that he was indeed very good-looking. However, if he treated this kid badly, he was going to get it from me.

"Hey, kid, tell you what. You teach me how to remember the difference between these berries, and I promise to punch the next person who insults you so hard that I break their nose. I've got some experience with that, trust me."

Evangeline's face lit up. "You would do that!?" she exclaimed. "I mean, I don't want anyone getting hurt, but the fact that you offered was so nice! And of course I'll help you!" she surprised me by throwing her arms around my waist in a hug. She quickly pulled away before I got to say anything, and turned to the table. "Right. Berries. Sorry." She apologized.

The next hour was spent by her trying to get me to remember the berries' names. I couldn't remember all of them, but I definitely made some progress. Of course, I'd probably end up forgetting everything due to the stress of the arena, but I managed to stick a few really poisonous ones in my brain. If I didn't eat anything that looked like them, I'd probably be fine.

As the bell rang for lunch time, I walked away from the station feeling pleased with myself. I had skills from my street-fights, and now, I felt a little prepared with survival. Eva was not only a patient teacher, but also someone understanding. I really liked her. She was too sweet for her own good, but at least she helped me out. As we walked towards the cafeteria, she waved me bye and walked over to Blake. I sighed. The kid really wanted Blake to like her, or at least bear with her. He clearly reminded her of home, and she didn't want to lose the last connection of home she had left. She obviously had no idea of the reason for his anger towards her.

Eva stood behind Blake before getting her tray, and kept clearing her throat. Blake ignored her. She gently tugged on Blake's arm, and he jerked it away, sending her a glare. That put me over the edge.

"OI!" I yelled, marching up to the male from Twelve. He looked at me with surprise in his eyes, but that didn't stay for too long before my fist connected with his jaw. I sent him reeling back out of sheer shock. Before he could say anything, I grabbed his collar and yanked him up to face me. I glared right into his eyes.

"You don't treat her like that, understood? Evangeline here is probably one of the sweetest kids I've ever known, which is saying something. I don't give a dam about the reason for your anger towards her. She clearly likes you, and you would do good not to hurt her." I growled. Blake's eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. Eva pulled on my arm.

"Avena, no! Please don't hurt him! You'll get in trouble too, and I don't want anyone hurt because of me!" Eva pleaded. I glanced her way before looking at Blake again. I hardened my glare. "Just because she's saying so, and because I don't wanna get into any sort of trouble with the Peacekeepers, I'm letting you go. But next time you treat Eva like that, you're going into the hospital with a broken limb or two." I snarled. Blake still wasn't able to find his voice. He closed his mouth and simply nodded. I shoved him away and grabbed Eva's hand.

"You're coming with me." I ordered her. I led her away to another line, and grabbed myself a tray. Poor Eva looked slightly overwhelmed by all that had just transpired. I grinned at her. "See? Told ya' I'd punch anyone who bothered you. I don't go back on my promises." I added a wink at the end for good measure. Eva beamed up at me.

And in that moment, I made a split second decision. It was rash, it was stupid, and it probably jeopardized my plans of making it home. But whenever did I start caring about carefully thought-out plans? I turned to Eva with a smirk. "Tell you what, Eva. You wanna be my ally?" I asked, keeping my voice low. Eva's eyes grew so wide, they seemed to almost be popping out of her head. "You really mean that!?" she exclaimed. I laughed nodded. She replied with an enthusiastic nod of her own.

"Of course I'd like to!" She hugged me again. "Thanks, Avena!" I laughed. As she pulled away, I used my free hand to ruffle her hair, to which she chuckled. I laughed.

"We'll kick some bottom as allies, just you wait and see, Eva." I assured her.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: HEYY! YASSS, I DID JUST UPDATE AGAIN! AND 215 REVIEWS MY GODS, Y'ALL ARE SO EPIC I CANT EVEN SAY LIKE OMG OMG OMG OMG WHAAA!?**

 **Right. Craziness episode over. Important stuff.**

 **So, I've decided that Day one of training will be in one part, day Two will be in two, and Three again in one part. After that, there'll be the private sessions, interviews, Night before the arena, and then….**

 **THE GAMES!**

 **So, yeah. I really hope y'all liked this chapter! I loved writing this so much, I cant even tell y'all! Tell me what you guys thought, okay?**

 **VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT MUST SEE AND ANSWER PLEASE!**

 **No guys, I'm not going on another hiatus. Instead, I need to ask you guys two very important questions. Please answer them. It would really be nice if you did. These questions are very important. And please, answer them in all honesty.**

 **Do you think your character is not getting enough of a part? I've tried giving each character importance, but tell me if you feel otherwise!**

 **When and if your character(s) die(s) during the Games, will you still continue reviewing? I understand, it hurts seeing your creations die. But I need to know if y'all will still read this after your characters die. Of course, I'll understand completely if you don't, but do tell me honestly.**

 **The chapters hereon will be long. Like, really long. I hope y'all dont have a problem with that! And seriously though. I LOVE reading your reviews. It makes me so happy and motivates me to write more. You guys are awesome.**

 **So, yeah. Hope this chapter was good! I loved writing it! Hope y'all liked reading it! Tell me what you guys thought, okay? And feel free to tell me how I can improve my writing! :)**

 **Until next time then...**


	20. Training Day Two: Part One

**Training Day Two:**

 **Part One:**

 **Raymond Tate (12) - D5 Male:**

I stepped into the shower with a frown on my face. The Capitol could afford luxuries regarding even simply necessities like showers. Even their taps were expensive. And in the districts, we suffered from severe poverty. Sure, Five wasn't as bad as some of the outer Districts, but we definitely couldn't afford even one fourth of this.

I turned on the tap and let the warm water flow. I quickly showered and stepped out, drying myself with the fluffy white towel that awaited me on the bathroom rack. Before going out, I snuck a glance at myself in the mirror. Gosh, I couldn't see anything without my glasses. Hurriedly, I snatched them from the counter and slipped them on. My reflection in the mirror became clearer. My brown hair was extremely disheveled. My sleep-deprived eyes had circled underneath them. I shook my head. Appearance didn't matter. I needed to go down for training.

I planned on picking up some skills with daggers and machetes today. I'd figured those weapons would be easy to maneuver and be helpful for stealth. I planned on stealth attacks. My build would allow me the element of surprise, and I knew from watching the Games that surprise attacks usually ended in an increase in casualties of enemies.

I headed out of the washroom and quickly got dressed. As I was about to step out my door, I wondered who'd brought me the clothes. Must've been an Avox. I shivered. How could they live with themselves? The Capitol had taken them in as slaves. They'd stolen their freedom and taken away their very dignity. If I had been in their situation, I would have rather died then be a slave of the Capitol.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I headed out of my room. In the dining hall, Evana was daintily sipping on some red wine. Aaran was stirring his cereal, looking bored. However, sounds of laughter came from the table. Frankie and Dane were laughing at something one of them had said. It was a little strange. Frankie was usually so rude and angry around people, but Dane had a way of making her laugh. Great. Just my luck to be stuck with the creepy dude who did nothing, while Frankie got the sweet, helpful and funny mentor. How was this even fair?

I took my place beside Aaran. Dane smiled at me. "Morning Raymond." He said. Frankie, still laughing, turned to her food. I served myself some pancakes, and started to eat. "So, I was thinking," Dane started, "maybe you guys should, you know, pick up some skills with weapons today. I think you guys got enough of survival skills yesterday, so try out some weapons how about?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Dane, we're not stupid. Of course we'll go to weapons today." I said. Beside me, Aaran smirked. Frankie glared at me. "Hey, kid, Dane's just trying to help. You don't want his advice, go shove it." she snapped. Dane looked at her, surprised. Then he gave me a small laugh. "It's alright Raymond. I just thought I should say it."

I nodded curtly at him before wrapping up my breakfast. I stood up, being followed closely by Frankie. We washed our faces, then headed over to the elevator. As the door opened, Dane patted both of us on our shoulders. "Good luck today." He said. Frankie turned and gave him a smile, and even I managed a small nod.

We spent the ride in complete silence. Frankie wouldn't look at me, and neither would I. As the elevator doors opened up, she headed out without so much as a glance towards me. I didn't mind either. I simply walked over to the daggers station. Around us, most of the tributes had already started training. I looked to see the pair from Six at the slingshot station. The boy was good with it, but the girl fumbled. It wasn't her thing. The guy from Eleven was with me at this station, but he made no attempt to talk to me. I appreciated that. I wasn't about to go conversing with him any time soon.

I picked up a sleek yet long dagger, about the size of my forearm. I weighed it in my hand. It was surprisingly light. I turned to the dummy beside me and slashed at it, cutting a clean gash across the chest. I smiled. A wound like that would have had to be fatal. Before long, I was slashing and hacking away at the dummy with every ounce of strength I had.

I cut everywhere. It's legs, its arms, its torso. If a real person had been standing in front of me, I'd have been covered in blood. I ended my attack my slashing the weapon across its throat, cutting the head clean off. I stood in front of it, panting. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead onto my brow, and I brushed it off with one finger. Beside me, someone let out a laugh.

"Wow, man, remind me never to get on your bad side." It was the boy from Eleven, Dwayne. He smiled at me. "Damn, you're pretty good with that thing. I wouldn't have expected someone from Five to have skills like that." He praised. I scowled.

"When you live in a place prone to attacks by mafia, you need to be prepared. Sure, Five may be one of the richer districts, but in some parts, all that's there is drugs, mafia, and other dark stuff. So you should be ready for anything." I shot back. He seemed a little confused at my curt response, but gave me an uneasy smile all the same. However, he put down his weapon and walked away from the station. This was clearly not his forte. I smirked to myself and was about to move on to another dummy to practice my strokes, when something went whizzing past me.

I stopped dead in my tracks. The skin beneath my eyes still tingled, from where the object had just passed. I had felt it split my hair as it flew past me. I followed the line of motion and found myself staring at an arrow, lodged into the wall not an inch from my face. My mouth fell open and I found myself unable to breathe. It had been so close…

"Oh sorry sweetheart, did I hurt you?" A sweet voice tinged with malice rang out behind me. I tore my eyes away from the arrow that had nearly skewered me, only to find myself looking into the icy blue eyes of the girl from Two. Siobhan started walking up to me in slow, long steps, her sneer growing wider with each stride. In a matter of seconds, she was standing but inches away from me. She was quite short for her age, and not all that much taller than me. But I found myself without my voice as she came closer. Her teeth were bared in a twisted smile. I slowly back up, trying to shy away from that unsettling gaze of hers. My back hit the wall, where the arrow still protruded from the mahogany surface, and I knew I had nowhere to run. Surely she wouldn't do anything, right? The peacekeepers would stop her. However, the look in Siobhan's eye told me that she didn't care about the consequences of her actions.

"What…" I faltered. Siobhan stepped even closer to me; so close, that I could see every drop of malice in her features. She reached out beside my head, and I cringed. I'd expected a slap, or something of the sort, but she simply took out the arrow from beside my head. "Sorry hon… I'm just terrible at moving targets…" She said, her voice low. Her blue eyes bored into mine. I forced myself to remain calm. What in the world was this girl's problem? I didn't recall doung anything to her. I simply couldn't remember a way in which I had offended her.

She leaned in even closer, allowing me to see the ruthlessness in her face. Her expression told me what I needed to know. She would be coming after me in the arena. I had no idea of the reason. But of this much I was sure. Her twisted smile grew wider, and now it just looked unbalanced. She whispered her next words, but they were enough to send shivers down my back.

"Hopefully you won't run too much when I shoot one of these lovelies at you…"

 **Bellona Irving(18)- D8 Female:**

Why weren't they asking me to join them yet? I almost snapped the neck of the trainer I was wrestling with out of frustration. They should have asked me by now. I've displayed almost all the talents they could want, and I've been good with very single weapon. Sure, I've avoided the throwing stuff, but then again, the careers have always liked a show of blood, not, as they called it, 'cowardly shooting'.

I pushed the trainer off of me. She was a petite woman in her mid-thirties. Though her technique was good, I was better than her. I had more zeal and much more energy. I grinned. "Oh I'm sorry. Did I beat you too fast? Maybe it's just that I need someone more qualified." I said sweetly. She gave me a sharp look, but quickly turned it into a smile. "In that case, sweetie, maybe you should try wrestling with one of the other tributes…" She finished. Her smile had slipped into a sneer. Poor thing. She actually thought she was threatening me. I returned her sneer whole-heartedly. "Gladly. Except it might take you a while to find someone to match me."

"I'll do it."

I turned around sharply to see who had spoken, and found myself looking into the startling green eyes of the girl from Three. Her name… I couldn't remember what it was. Kiwi? Gimi? Ah, who cared. All I could do was stare at her. She was short for her age; even shorter than me, which was saying something for I only stood at Five two. Her red hair was pulled up tightly into a bun, but her eyes held defiance. I laughed. "Really? Girl, do you have a death wish?" I smirked.

She glared at me. "This is practice. I need all the practice I can get if I'm gonna kick your butts in the arena. And I wanna be remembered. What better way to do that than to kill the child of a victor?"

My jaw fell open. Did she actually just threaten me!? I was Bellona Irving, child of Caspian and Michelle Irving. Nobody threatened me, much less some squirt from Three. I moved closer to her, hands held up for a fight. She smirked and got into position as well. The trainer stood beside us, ready to announce the fight. I laughed in my head. Sure, hurting other tributes before the Games was against the rules, but if I hurt her in a fair fight, there would be no rule-breaking, would there?

"You're gonna regret this, Three. And even if you do survive this, I'm coming for you in the arena. You better bloody watch out." I snarled. Three grinned. "Feeling's mutual, Eight."

"You guys ready?" The trainer asked. We both simply grinned menacingly at each other. She took this as a cue and waved her hand downwards in front of us. We came at each other as fast as we possibly could.

I launched my fist in the direction of her nose, attempting to smack it. but being smaller gave her agility. She ducked down and turned in a hasty motion, smashing her foot into my leg. I lost my balance and fell backwards, landing with a hard thud. My head hit the mat with a nauseating sound, and I began seeing red. But I wasn't going to give in this easily. Three took this as an opportunity to climb on top of me. She pressed her forearm down onto my neck, trying in vain to get me to tap thrice in a surrender.

However, for this, she lost her concentration on putting enough force on me to keep me down. I rolled over to my side with as much force as I could muster, throwing her off me. I grabbed her by the face and smashed her head down onto the mat. I leaned in closer and whispered "Serves you right." She brought up her fist from the side and drove it into my ribcage. Hard. I reeled back, and using the chance, she brought up her leg and kicked me in the stomach so hard, I almost threw up.

I glanced to the side and saw a few careers staring at me. The boys from Two and Four, along with the girl from Two. I growled. Three was making me look bad in front of them. I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I ran forward and using my momentum, smashed my body onto hers just as she was getting up from the mat. I dug my elbow into her back, and wrapped my other arm around her neck. I pulled her neck up, putting her in an agonizing headlock. Using the weight of my body, I kept her pinned down, but pulled her neck up as hard as I could. I prayed for the welcomed sound of at least one bone snapping, but I heard nothing. And the stubborn idiot didn't even surrender.

"Alright, that's enough! Bellona, you win. Let go of Gigabyte please." The trainer's voice interrupted y thoughts. I didn't let go immediately, but when she started walking towards me, I hurriedly shoved Three away. Gigabyte? So that was her name.

She turned around, and only then did I see that her mouth was bleeding. However, she couldn't complain. She'd invited the fight in the first place. She glared up at me from her position on the floor, and even I had to admit, her glares were scary. But I wasn't going to be intimidated by some little kid from Three. I smiled the sweetest smile I could. "Next time you think of challenging Bellona, hun? Well, here's some advice. Don't." I reached out and ruffled her hair, as if I hadn't attempted to break her neck a few seconds ago. She hastily pulled away and seemed like she wanted to say something, but apparently thought better of it. Good for her. I wouldn't have minded giving her more than a mouth-bleed. I started to walk towards the knife-throwing station, eager to try out something ranged, when a voice stopped me.

"You're pretty fierce."

I stopped almost immediately. I recognized the voice. I had to stop myself from jumping with joy. I turned around to come face to face with Lawson Dean, from Two. I grinned widely. "So says the strongest tribute in the Games." I said. I knew what was up with these tributes from Two. They had big egos. If you fed their egos, they liked you. And I was doing just that. My plan worked. Lawson grinned.

"So, you're not a complete dunce either, then. Huh, at least one tribute from Eight is sane. I can't say the same for your partner." He laughed snarkily. I joined in. "Oh, Ruben? Yeah, he's a psychotic murderer. I don't even wanna share the same floor with him. He disgusts me." I almost surprised myself with the ease with which I could lie. Lawson didn't seem to catch it though. After all, I was talented.

He stepped closer, holding out a hand. "I think I'd like to formally invite you to join the careers. Care to accept?" his tone made it clear he wasn't asking. As if I was going to say no. I made a big show of widening my eyes. I clamped a hand over my mouth. I slowly removed it, displaying my open jaw. I laughed as though I couldn't believe this was happening. I was pretty pleased with my act. This guy, though he seemed clever, seemed to have no idea.

"Dang, is that a trick question? Of course I'm in!" I smiled my most winning smile at him. He smirked and shook my hand. "Good then. You seemed pretty fierce with that Three kid. You think you'll be able to keep that ferocity up in the Games?"

I sneered. "Listen Law, I may be from an outer district. But I'm the child of a victor. And I know what the Games are. It's to prove your worth to the whole nation. If a few weaklings stand in my way of doing that, I won't hesitate even a moment before slicing a knife across their throats."

 **Absalom Sawyer(18)- D7 Male:**

I weighed the axe in my hand. I usually preferred a chainsaw, but I didn't want to showcase that to the whole crowd over here. Even if there was a chainsaw in the Cornucopia, if I showed them my talent with the weapon, a career was sure to snatch it before I reached. So I decided to keep that skill hidden. Always paid off, having a few tricks up your sleeve.

I looked around the training room, trying to spot my district partner. I finally found her in the knot-tying station. I almost laughed. Why in the world would she go there? I knew from work that she was handy with an axe. If I'd been her, I would've put my efforts into gaining more skill with the weapon I was best with. However, I understood her reason for going to the station she was at. That particular skill would be helpful for setting up traps and hunting. I smirked. I'd picked that up yesterday, along with some knowledge of edible plants. I planned on utilizing my remaining training days on honing my skills with weapons.

Beside me, I heard someone heave a huge sigh. I looked in their direction to see the girl from Five, the one with the big attitude, glaring at the axe in her hands as though it was the root of all her problems. She probably sensed me looking at her, because she shifted her glare to me. "What?" She snapped. I took a step back, holding my hands up, the axe almost hitting my shoulder. I steadied it and looked at her. "Relax. I just tend to look when someone beside me sighs like their best friend dropped dead." I retorted.

I turned to the dummy beside me. In a swift motion, I swung the axe, cutting off its limb. This dummy must have been someone's idea of a sick joke, because from where the arm is severed, a red thick liquid started flowing down, dripping onto the floor. I stepped back, a little shocked. I mean, sure, I'd hacked down trees, but just thinking about chopping off someone's limb like that made my stomach turn. However, I needed practice. And I was entering the Games. If I didn't suck up my gut and start acting, I'd end up dead.

However, I gave up on the dummy. Fighting an inanimate object seemed useless. Instead, I turned to one of the targets. I needed to aim for the chest. But it wouldn't be as though my enemy would be completely harmless. I closed my eyes and imagined an opponent standing in front of me. I swung my axe to where they would hold their sword, had they been aiming for any vital organ. After a few swings that were hard enough to swing off my very arms, I tried out a maneuver I'd seen people do in the Games. I turned in a circle, and as I came back to my original position, I slammed my axe forward as hard as I could.

BAM!

It hit dead centre in the target. I grinned, pleased with myself. I hadn't expected my first attempt with the axe to be so good, but the many years of chopping down trees had paid off. Now all I needed to do was keep a strong mind while doing the same to a live person. Somehow though, I figured that would be a little more difficult than a target.

Someone whistled from behind me. I turned to see the Five girl again. Frankie, her name probably was, had a smirk plastered to her face. "Damn, you're good with that. But of course, all you Sevens are good with axes. I'd actually pay to see a Seven not use an axe." She said. I scowled at her. "Right. At least we can use something. I would hate to see Fives die in the Games because they don't know how to use weapons." I shot back.

We simply stared at each other for a moment, before Frankie let out a laugh. "Mate, you're terrible at taunting." She said, almost doubling over. I stared at her some more. Here I was, trying to retort to her snarky statement, and here she was, laughing her head off. This girl was a little strange. However, my attention was drawn away from Frankie by another voice.

"So, it seems this year's outer districts have something to show." I looked to see the huge boy from Two, The Law, standing at the edge of the station. The girl from Eight was beside him, sneering at me. I was slightly confused for a moment, before Blight's words played in my mind. My breath caught in my throat. They weren't possibly here to ask me to join them, were they? I'd been avoiding this moment for as long as I could, but there was no putting it off now. The two stepped up to me.

"So, Absalom Sawyer? Do you, or do you not agree to our offer?" The Law asked. "I don't recall you making any offer." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I almost immediately regretted it. However, even The Law would think before trying to stare me down. I stood at least an inch taller than him. I was quite easily the tallest tribute in these Games.

The Law seemed unsure at first, but then shook it off with a strangely easy-going laugh. "Right. Silly me. Would you take up our offer of joining the Careers?" he asked. He seemed almost sure it was rhetorical. After all, who could say no?

But I wasn't a delusional idiot. I knew what happened to outer district kids who joined the careers. Once they outlived their value, they were killed in their sleep. Last year, the girl from Four had killed the girl from Nine in that exact way. I didn't want to end up like her.

However, with the careers, I would be twice a threat that I was now. No one would even think of attacking us. I'd easily make it into the top eight at least. My strengths would be accompanied by theirs. In fact, if I joined the careers, after the boys from Four and Two, I'd be seen as the biggest threat.

But I didn't want to blindly give in to trust. Once with the careers, I wouldn't be able to spend one night in peace. My sleep would be haunted by images of being killed in my sleep. I'd soon be exhausted from continuous caution. Every time we killed off another tribute, I'd come closer to outliving my value. And though I was tall, I definitely didn't have enough skill to defeat the careers if they ganged up on me. Heck, I probably wouldn't be able to defeat Law or Kai when they were alone either.

"Are you ever gonna answer?" Bellona cried, frustrated. I looked up to meet their expectant eyes. I'd taken my time to think this out. I knew either option meant setting a target on my back, but I chose the one which didn't guarantee my death. I spoke slowly, trying to say my words in the best way possible.

"I'm honored by your offer, but I think my best interests lie in going into the Games on my own." I said. Lawson raised an eyebrow, surprised, while Bellona looked appalled. "Excuse me!? You're turning _down_ out generous offer?" she stepped up closer, but The Law put out a hand and held her back. He looked at me skeptically. "That's not the best idea genius. If you don't ally with us, you become our target."

I nodded. "I am fully aware. But in that case, I can still evade you. I know for a fact that joining you means certain death once I outlive my value. And it'll be easier for you to gang up on me. So, with all due respect, no thank you."

The Law grinned. "You almost make the decision sound logical." He smirked. Bellona was seething. "You seriously aren't going to join the careers?" She asked again. Before I could answer, another voice cut through our conversation.

"So, apparently you careers alliance people are deaf as well as crazy. He clearly just said he didn't want to join you. Twice. It takes _that_ long to penetrate that thick skull of yours?"

I whipped my head around to see Frankie smirking, her cocky expression betraying no fear of the fact that she'd just snapped at a career alliance member. The Law looked at her with a glare, but Bellona seemed a step away from billowing steam. "Excuse you, Five, no one talks to the careers like that." Her voice held a tinge of malice.

Frankie smirked wider and crossed her arms over her chest. "Wimps like you may find your threats scary, but I certainly don't. You don't scare me one god darned bit." I looked back and forth between the two girls, trying to analyze the situation. Frankie was obviously setting a target on her head, but I couldn't help but admire the way she showed up the careers. The Law looked at us like we were some slightly boring yet slightly amusing television show, while Bellona seemed like she could take an axe and chop our heads off. She opened her mouth to say something, but The Law cut her off.

"No, Bellona. They aren't worth our time. Let the sissies be. But be warned, Five and Seven. We will come after you. You haven't done yourselves a favor, talking to us like that." He looked at us pointedly. I didn't say anything, but maintained a straight face. Frankie let out a laugh.

As The Law walked away, with Bellona in tow, an awkward silence filled the axe-throwing station. I knew what Frankie was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. I opened my mouth, but didn't say anything, and shut it again. This was getting increasingly awkward. Frankie cleared her throat. "We pissed off the Careers." She said. I looked at her and narrowed my eyes. She glared back at me. "Okay, don't give me that creepy I-know-what's-going-on-in-your-brain look. It's seriously creepy." She said. I shrugged, but didn't take my eyes off of her. She sighed. "I don't trust you, Seven."

"Neither do I, Five."

"But we'd live longer."

"Exactly."

We looked at each other for another moment, after which she held out her hand. I hesitated. This was based on anything but trust. It was mostly our need to survive. Frankie had the attitude, I had some skills. We'd definitely live longer together.

"Allies?" She asked. I reached out and shook her hand firmly.

"Allies."

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Yeah, I know. Not many POVs. But I really wanted this chapter out, and I'm really tired, so I had absolutely no energy to type out another 1500 words. Or however long the next person's POV is. I hope you guys liked it though! Training Day Two will have another part, and that will most likely have Five POVs. So, yeah! I seriously hope you guys liked it. I love writing up these chapters for you guys, so please let me know what you thought of it!**

 **Also, to remove any doubts about my intention for asking the questions in the previous chapter, I deeply apologize for any confusion. I only asked the question to know whether people were reading the story only for their characters, or for the story itself. And I couldnt be more happy with the responses. :')**

 **Thirdly, this isn't just an SYOT guys. It also has a story. So, there will be some POVs about that too. I really hope you don't mind. As to what the story is, well, I think it'll become clearer after a while. But yeah, it's got to do with the rebellion. Any guesses? ;)**

 **Fourthly (gosh, this is a long AN), I'm so stupid for not saying this, and thanks to santiago. poncini20 for bringing this to my attention, but The Night before the Games will also include the launch, that is, just entering the arena and maybe the countdown. The Bloodbath will be the next chapter.**

 **But guys, I wanted to ask you this one other thing. I tend to give a lot of importance to the characters' emotions and other details too. Do you guys not like that? I'll understand if you dont. Please tell me if so. Should I continue as I am, having longer chapters with more emotions, or should I have shorter chapters and just get over with everything fast? Tell me what you guys think! I'm absolutely open to suggestions!**

 **Right then. Long AN. Sorry about that! The alliance list is here!**

 **Almiro Fitzroy, Siobhan O'Brian, Lawson Dean, Bellona Irving, Kyle Daniels, Anna Austen**

 **Absalom Sawyer, Frankie-Leigh Voltz**

 **Colt Marshall, Nova Pines**

 **Dwayne McCane, April Smith**

 **Otto Freight, Lisette Osborn**

 **Avena Larson, Evangeline Scott**

 **Right. Thats the end of the AN. I'll be including the loners at the end of Day Two, or maybe Three. Which was your favorite alliance till now? Tell me what y'all though, okay?**

 **AND 230 REVIEWS YOU GUYS ARE SO EPIC OMG! XD**

 **Right. Ending this damn thing.**

 **Until next time then...**

 **P.S: anyone caught the Percy Jackson Reference? ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Training Day Two:**

 **Part Two:**

 **April Smith (13) - D11 Female:**

Dwayne sat beside me, his eyebrows knitted in concentration. He reminded me so much of Tyler, I couldn't help but laugh. He shot me a strange look, but didn't say anything. He let out a huge sigh. "April, it's almost the end of day two. Chaff had told us to find some allies. And we haven't managed to find a single one. I don't know what we're gonna do, and it's seriously annoying the crap out of me." He complained. I rested my hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, Dwayne. We'll find some. I know we will. We just gotta give it some more time, that's it." I told him. He looked up at me. The worry in his eyes was prominent. He'd told me in the morning that he hadn't slept the previous night. I understood his plight. Nightmares haunted my sleep too. Now that I was going into the Hunger Games, the images of my parents getting beheaded were even more vivid.I could have sworn I even smelt the blood in my dreams. Dwayne had probably dreamt of his past too.

"You have anyone in mind?" He asked out of the blue. I was a little startled, and took a moment to reply. "Well, there are a few, yes. I just don't know how to ask them." I answered. Dwayne turned to me, interested. He nodded, a sign for me to continue.

"Well, there's the girl from Seven. She's got some skills with that axe, and I think I can trust her enough not to stab us in the back while we sleep." I said. Dwayne glanced towards where Nick Noell was currently at the knot-tying station. She seemed to be tearing the ropes apart in her frustration, much to the amusement of the trainer. I didn't know why she would go to the knot-tying station, but it wasn't as though I could say much. Dwayne and I had been sitting at the camouflage station for over an hour. His mouth twisted into a frown.

"No, not her. She may be good with an axe and somewhat loyal, but she's way too impulsive and rash for out benefit. She acts first and thinks later. No, I don't think she'll do." he analyzed. I looked at him in surprise, marveling his way of understanding a person's weakness so flawlessly. I nodded. "You're right. She'll be a threat to us as well." I thought for a moment. "What about the pair from Ten?"

Dwayne didn't even say anything before laughing. "That's a really good choice, if you ignore the impending threat." I raised my eyebrow at his words, confused as to why he'd say that. He pointed towards the careers. "I've seen them give the guy from Ten at least a dozen glares. They'll be going after him in the bloodbath for sure. There's a very small chance he'll make it out. And the girl, she may be spunky, but she, like the one from Seven, acts without thinking. And I don't trust her not to kill us in our sleep."

I frowned. Dwayne's words made sense. I felt a little bad, but he was right. Allying with them wasn't in our best interest. Dwayne looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry April. I know I'm being a bit of a jerk, but I want to choose our allies carefully. I'm sorry." He said, looking down. I smiled. "Dwayne, you have no reason to apologize. I agree, we need to choose our allies carefully."

I got up from my seat. "Where're you going?" Dwayne asked. I laughed. "I'm not running away, if that's what you're asking. I need to go drink some water. I'll be back in a jiffy." He nodded, then turned back to the table, thinking hard.

I passed quite a few tributes on my way to the water fountain. I saw the pair from Six at the dagger station. The boy clearly couldn't hold the weapon, but the girl wasn't doing so badly. The girl from Nine and the little one from Twelve, who seemed to be in an unlikely alliance, were at the archery station. I kept walking.

I reached the fountain and pressed the button, bending down to let the cold water touch my mouth. I drank my fill and stood up. Immediately, I bumped into someone behind me.

"Hey! Watch it!" an irritated voice came. I turned to see the girl from Five glaring at me. Her startling gray eyes made her glares look about a hundred times more scary. However, this hadn't been my fault. I glared right back. "Well, excuse me. You should know to keep your distance when someone's drinking water. You should also know that after drinking water, its normal human behavior to stand up straight. Forgive me if you lack in such simple knowledge." I snapped. Five's eyes narrowed. She stepped closer to me.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Eleven. I don't care who you are. The _careers_ couldn't talk to me like that. You won't either. I wasn't standing all that close to you. You backed up without looking. So it wasn't my goddamn fault." She was almost growling by the end of her sentence. I wasn't tall, but she wasn't going to intimidate me. I stood my ground.

"If that's supposed to scare me, let me tell you. It didn't do so one tiny bit." I retorted. I knew getting into a rivalry with another tribute wasn't safe, but she was driving me over the edge. Five smirked. "Oh, now we're being all tough, are we? You shouldn't talk to me like that. Who knows, maybe a certain someone will come after you in the Games, and then you won't be able to go back to that crazy sister of yours-"

I cut her off by pushing her backwards with all my force. She'd really driven me over the edge now. Nobody talked about Amanda like that. My vision was almost red from anger. Her eyes conveyed shock, but she didn't say anything. "No one talks about my sister like that. Got it?" I growled. She straightened up and came towards me, her fist poised as though she was about to punch me. I stood my ground. I wasn't going to be pushed around by some hot-tempered girl from Five. She was almost on top of me, when a hand came from behind her and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Alright, that's enough there." I looked to see the boy from Seven, the really tall one, holding onto Five's wrist. He gave her a meaningful look, but she simply glared at him. "This pipsqueak insulted me. No one does that, Absalom." She said. Absalom sighed as though she were a five year old he was reprimanding. "Yes, well, I'm sure the Peacekeepers and trainers will listen to that. You can't pick a fight with another tribute. Let's go." He started pulling her away, but she stopped and turned to look at me once more. I was breathing hard from anger. She glared at me. She didn't say anything, and let Absalom pull her away. I stomped my foot out of frustration and marched back to where Dwayne was sitting. He was looking at me with wide eyes.

"Ooookay. What in the world was that about?" he asked, referring to my meeting with Frankie. I sat down hard on the chair and glared at him. He backed up a little bit. My voice came out a little hoarse, but my words were firm. "It doesn't matter. But if there's one thing I learnt, I know whose cannon I'm gonna be hoping for after the bloodbath."

 **Almiro Fitzroy(18) – D1 Male**

Metal clashed against metal as I fought with Lawson. He wielded an axe while I was using a javelin. I blocked his thrust on the shaft of the javelin, and turned the other end to hit him in his ribcage. I locked the shaft under his axe blade and pulled his weapon away from him. The axe clattered to the floor as we stepped away from each other. The Law laughed. He reached forward and patted my shoulder. I flinched, expecting something Lawson-ish, but nothing came. Instead, he genuinely smiled at me. "Dang it Almiro. You're some serious good with that javelin. But then again, I guess such meager outer-district weapons aren't made for me either." He gestured towards the axe. I smirked. "Right you are. Careers use only the best weapons. Like the sword." The two of us laughed good-naturedly, and I could say that I was pleasantly surprised. However, something about this guy seemed a little off. One second ago he looked like he could easily drive the axe through my chest. And now he was laughing and joking with me like we were long-lost buddies.

"Hey guys!" Siobhan's ever-cheerful voice chirped in the background. I looked to see her bounding up to us with her permanent grin wide on her face. She skidded to a stop in front of us, and smiled. "That was some training you guys had there." She giggled. I half-suppressed an eye-roll. Siobhan may have been a nice girl, but she was way too cheerful and way too girly most of the time. I smiled though, not wanting to upset her. Lawson hadn't any caution like that. He simply laughed again.

"Oh yeah, and what were you doing? Intimidating some poor bloodbath kid? Honestly Siobhan, I thought you had higher standards that that." He said. Siobhan looked offended. "Hey it was-" she caught herself, apparently realizing Law was offending the guy from Five, not her. She smiled in a sickly sweet way. "Of course. I won't talk to such disgusting things. I'll simply kill them." Lawson slapped her a high five, and I shifted away. I felt a little uncomfortable. Of course, I didn't have any problem about killing in the Games, but sometimes these guys talked about the tributes like they were dummies, placed there for their practice. I looked to my side to see Kai and Anna walking up to us. I automatically smiled. Anna was a really sweet girl, too gentle for her own good. Not like Siobhan, who sometimes acted like a viscous killing machine. And Kai, though a little reckless and bossy, actually seemed like a good guy. He flashed me a warm smile as they walked up to our group. Lawson shot him a strange look. Kai seemed to be ignoring him. Siobhan hugged Anna, who laughed.

"Hey, where's Bellona?" Siobhan asked, pulling away from the Four girl. I shrugged, not really wanted to answer that. As much as Siobhan and Law were intimidating, they weren't machines like Bellona. Bellona treated killing like it was a daily activity. I was about to shrug it off, but my hopes were dashed. Bellona ran up to us, out of breath. I studied her. Something about her seemed really off. I simply couldn't bring myself to trust her yet. Siobhan and Law had no problem placing their trust in her, and Anna was as sweet as ever. Kyle seemed a little wary, but he didn't seem to be too bothered. I realized I was the only one overthinking things. I pushed the thoughts out of my mind, but I couldn't deny something bothering me.

"Sorry guys, got a little caught up. The girl from Three, she hurt my leg real bad. I had to…" She trailed off on seeing our expressions. "or actually, never mind." She grinned widely. "So. Any plans?" she asked. Law leaned against a wall. "I'm exhausted. I think I'll drop the training for today. Say what?" he raised an eyebrow at us. I shrugged. "Well, it's not like there's much time left anyway. Lunch begins in an hour. We probably wouldn't have been doing much."

Bellona smiled at us. Her smile made Siobhan's evil one look angelic. At least Siobhan had a good side to her. She was pretty nice towards us. I had no doubt Bellona would readily stab us all in our sleeps. She picked up a knife lying nearby and turned it in her hands. "So guys… Have any… special targets?" She sneered. The Law let out a dry chuckle. "I have a few I'm aiming for, yes."

"You guys can do whatever. I want the boy from Five." Siobhan put in. The Law looked at her strangely. "Really? You wanna go after that easy a target?" He asked. She shrugged. "I want my revenge." She said simply. I had no clue of what she was talking about, so I kept shut. The Law nodded. "I'm gonna go for the weaker ones. Pick them off. But before all that, I'm gonna get after Seven. He insulted the careers. He's not getting off so easily." He said. Bellona laughed; her very laugh was tinged with malice. I hadn't thought it possible to hold so much malice in one. "Of course. Such idiots should be shown their places. As for me, I'm getting Five's girl. She's my kill."

Both girls started laughing. "Poor poor district Five. Seems like their big targets by the careers." Siobhan managed between gales of laughter. I glanced at Kai awkwardly. If we all ran into the bloodbath like this, there'd be no one to get the supplies. The other tributes would grab the good ones before we even reached the cornucopia. I cleared my throat. "Alright, you guy go do your business. I think Anna and I can gather up the supplies." I put in. Kyle nodded his assent. "And I'll keep a watchout, in case someone tries to attack them. If I don't see anyone, I'll go after some tributes myself."

Lawson gave Kai a skeptical look and was probably about to say something bad about his plan, when Siobhan intervened. "That actually sounds great Kai!" She said, almost too cheerfully. "Are you sure you don't have a target?" Bellona asked. Kai shrugged. I'll just keep down anyone coming my way." He answered.

Siobhan laughed again. "Wow, I'm actually liking this! None of those other tributes stand a chance. Anyone else want someone?" She asked. I almost punched her. How could these people talk about other human beings like they were objects to be passed around!? It made me want to hurl. Lawson simply shrugged, but Bellona, of course, had something to say. "Well, I wouldn't mind getting the girl from Three. No one stands up to the careers like that."

Siobhan nodded. "I call the boy from Ten. I'm not gonna pass up a chance to mess up that pretty face of his. And trust me. I'll give the Capitol Audience a show." She said. Her lips twisted into a snarl. Lawson patted her back. "That's like a true career!" he applauded. Bellona clapped her hands together. "Aw, man, I can't wait for the bloodbath!"

 **Blake Coleman(17)-D12 Male**

I wanted to throw something across the training room in frustration. I needed myself some allies, and I simply had no idea who to go to. My options were limited of course, but I needed to act fast. Day Two was almost over, and I hadn't had the slightest shot at getting myself an ally.

I took a deep breath. Panicking wasn't going to help. I needed to keep a clear mind and I needed to think. Who would be the most beneficial for my longevity? The obvious answer was the careers. I almost laughed. As if the Careers would take in a Twelve Seam kid like me. And I had overheard the Seven guy's refusal of the Career alliance. His logic was so good, it made the careers look stupid. Of course, he was setting a target on his head by doing that, but at least he'd sustained his life a little longer. No, Careers was out of the question.

I looked around at the different alliances which were forming. The pair from Ten were obvious threats. I saw the careers shoot them glares, but they seemed oblivious to it all. However, I didn't want to ally with them just yet. The girl was way too rash and the boy attracted way too much attention for my comfort. Nope, they weren't all that good an option.

The pair from Six seemed like a cute little kid alliance. The girl seemed to be talented with medicinal stuff from what I had observed, but neither of them seemed to be all that good of fighters. I wanted a team which had little bits of everything. A fighter, someone good with survival.

My gaze drifted towards the most unlikely alliance between the guy from Seven and the girl from Five. They were training at the axe station together. However, there was obvious discord between them. They weren't like the other alliances. I knew from what I had heard that they'd formed the alliance purely based on the need to survive. However, I knew that was probably the most intelligent of alliances. Getting all emotional wasn't going to do anyone any good. But I couldn't get myself to ally with them. They'd probably kill me in my sleep. I didn't trust them.

The two from Eleven seemed to be together as well, but I had noticed the girl getting into a fight previously with the girl from Five. That meant she let anger rule her. I didn't like that. But that wasn't enough to make me reject them as a choice. The thing was, even with the boy's easy-going nature, I doubted the two would get many sponsors. And I hadn't seen them with any weapon. The boy seemed like he was built for using a few weapons, but the girl didn't. That wouldn't be of much use in a fight.

I didn't want to form an alliance on my own. I may have had some charm in my words, but I definitely didn't want to be the leader of any pack. And forming the alliance would mean getting rejected at least once. That person would then target me. And forming an alliance would also attract the unwanted attention of the careers.

That left me with only one choice. I sighed. I didn't want to consider it. It was way too pitiful to even think about. But I didn't think I had another choice.

I looked over to where Avena and Eva were currently at the fire-making station. They'd moved there from the wrestling mat, not too long before the girl from Eight had had her dramatic match with the girl from Three. Eva was laughing about something Avena had said. I didn't want to do this one tiny bit. But this alliance made sense. I knew from our conversations with Haymitch that Eva was good with survival linked stuff. She was also pretty good with medic things, so she'd be of use in case of an injury. Avena was a fighter; that much was clear. She'd probably be of the most use in a fight.

But these weren't the only reasons I was going to do this. All the other alliances may have rejected me. But I knew for a fact that by saying the correct things, this could actually work out for me. However much I disliked Eva, I wasn't going to let that overrule my desire to stay alive. Taking a deep breath, I walked up to them.

Avena glared at me. Eva looked up at me with a sad expression, as though still trying to figure out my reason for disliking her. So far so good.

I smiled at them. I made sure to put just the correct amount of guilty-yet-sweet essence in my smile. Eva looked a little confused, but Avena was unfazed. "What're you here for?" She snapped. I held up my hands in a surrendering motion.

"Woah there, calm down. I aint here to anger you, that's for sure. I think one doze is enough." I said playfully, pointing to the small bruise on my cheek from where she'd punched me. She glared harder, and I dropped my expression. I shuffled on my feet, taking a small yet visible gulp. "Um, actually, I'm here to apologize."

Avena looked slightly shocked at this, but Eva looked awestruck. I turned to her and forced myself to smile. "Eva, I know I've treated you badly. I was behaving like a child. I was jealous of all the money your family had, while mine had to squander our days away in the Seam. But I've gotten it now. It wasn't your fault. And even after my rude behavior, you treated me with sweetness. I was wrong to behave like that with you Eva. And I'm truly, utterly sorry."

I looked up to see Eva's features overcome with shock. "You really mean that?" She asked, out of breath. She seemed so surprised that I almost laughed. But I held it in. I simply smiled at her and nodded. "I do. I hope you can forgive me."

Her face broke into a huge grin. She leapt up and threw her arms around my waist, pulling me into a tight hug. "Thank you so much Blake! I'm so happy you've finally become nice! I've always wanted a nice district partner!" She squealed. Without thinking, I reached up and ruffled her hair. My hand froze. What in the world? However, this seemed to please Eva even more. She looked up at me and smiled. "You're really sweet, Blake." She murmered.

"Hey, I can see through this ya know." I heard Avena's voice. I looked up at her innocently. "You wanna get into our alliance." She said, crossing her arms. I frowned. I gently extricated Eva's hands from around my waist and looked at the elder girl. "No, Avena. I genuinely wanted to apologize to Eva. And if it pleases you, I'm gonna walk away right now. I just wanted to apologize to her." I smiled at Eva sadly, hoping she would take the hint, but didn't wait. I very slowly started walking away.

Please call me back, please call me back…

"Blake wait!" came a voice after what felt like eternity. I exhaled. I quickly hid my relief and turned back to them. Avena was glaring at Eva, who was giving her the sweet-kid's-big-hopeful-eyes. She shook her head and turned to me. She beckoned me forward. I raised my eyebrow at her. "What happened?" I asked. Her glare turned worse.

"Eva here is begging me to let you in our alliance. I don't want to, but she apparently believes you've changed. So, Eva, you listening? This one's for you, and only because of you. Blake, do you want to join our alliance?" she asked. I almost jumped out of joy, but managed to compose myself. I'd done it! I smiled at her my best smile. "You kidding? Of course I would! It'd be my pleasure!"

She didn't take down her glare. "You're in." Eva ran up to hug me again, but she held out her hand to stop my district partner. She turned her gaze towards me again. Her look was a little unsettling. "You may be a part of our alliance now, but one false move, one reason for e to suspect you, and you're out. Got it?"

I smiled again. This was perfect. I'd finally gotten into an alliance. And Avena's attitude together with Eva's medicine knowledge and my knife skills would take us far. I grinned.

"Got it."

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: I know, I know, relatively small chapter. But I felt that any longer would be dragging it out. And this WAS the second part of Day two. Not too much can happen in a day, yes? ;) Plus, I really wanted to give you awesome peeps a chapter, because I didnt want to delay the second part of Day 2. Day 3 will be longer. For sure.**

 **Also,and this is really important, but I have put up my websire for this story. Its called ruinsoftime. weebly. com**

 **I know, I know. Really imaginative. But hehe. I think I got everyone's faceclaims! If you arent satisfied with your tribute, let me know along with the faceclaim you find more fitting! I spent a lot of time on this, so hopefully its good! Hope you guys like it!**

 **And I hope you guys liked the chapter! I loved writing it, so I hope you liked reading it! And thanks so much for all the awesome reviews. It motivates me a lot. Really. :)**

 **Until next time then...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Training day Three:**

 **Otto Freight(14) - D6 Male:**

 _My feet thudded against the cool ground of the training room. I was running. Running from something behind me. The training room seemed to never end. I never reached the other end. I could hear my predator's footsteps gain on me. I put on a burst of speed, but to my horror, found myself to be tackled from behind onto the floor._

 _I couldn't help it. I screamed. A throat-wrenching scream that seemed to rip every muscle in my body fro my being. I'd have shut my ears, if I hadn't been so terrified. I looked around to steal a glance of my opponent's face and found myself looking into the gray eyes of the beast from Eight. The boy who seemed like a psychopath. He pinned me onto the ground with the weight of his own body, and pressed his knee down onto my chest. At first it was only a slight pressure, but it grew by the moment. Within seconds I was screaming from the agony that he was inflicting on me. My chest felt like a vortex as expanding inside of it. I couldn't breathe. I was only screaming. My vision started to go black as he leaned over my face, the sadistic gleam in his eyes almost as bad as the pain in my chest. I looked to the side to see him bring out a knife from nowhere. My eyes grew wide in terror as I realized what he was going to do._

 _I found myself pleading with him for mercy. I'm not quite sure he even understood what I was saying; my words were warbled sounds of fear. Never in my life had I been so afraid. He simply laughed and pressed the tip of the knife onto my cheekbone. The pain in my chest had subsided, but the terror of what he was about to do hung onto my bones like the chill of a winter night. I couldn't even feel the tears that ran down my cheeks. The boy from Eight raised the knife high in the air, letting me get a good look at the glittering weapon that would inflict unworldly pain on me. I let out a final high-pitched scream. The boy drove the knife down, right into my left eye._

I woke up gasping for air, and screaming. I frantically thrashed around in the covers, still trying to free myself from the non-existent threat of the boy from Eight. The dream had felt so real… almost _too_ real. I could feel the hot tears as they ran down my face. My fingers clutched the blanket as I drew in ragged breaths, trying to calm myself. Repeatedly I reassured myself. This had just been a dream. No way was that going to happen in real life.

Aw, who was I kidding? I was going into the Hunger Games. Against those careers, I stood no chance. I wanted to go back of course. I wanted to make it back to my family. Back to Aubrey and the rest of my friends. Back to District Six. Back to the place I called Home. But somehow I knew I wasn't strong enough.

I took a deep breath. Thinking like this wasn't going to help me. I recalled watching the tape of an old Hunger Games. The victor had been a fifteen-year-old from District Twelve. He had literally beaten all the odds and won. No one had expected him to win. And yet he had. Of course, after his Games he took to heavy morphling usage and drinking, leading to his painful demise ten years ago, but he had won all the same. And if he, who came from the most neglected and untrained district could do it, so could I. I simply needed to keep my wits.

I stepped out of the bed and walked stiffly over to the washroom. I blanked out the rest as I slipped into my routine. I found myself putting on y track pants and gray shirt, which was to be this year's tribute uniform, without a second thought. And following that, I walked out of the posh bedroom, taking no care to untangle the mess of hair that was on my head.

"Otto, are you alright?" Lisette asked the moment she saw me. Obviously she would've noticed something off about my appearance. I usually didn't look quite so… unstable. She wasn't the only one. Azure raised a blue eyebrow at me and Silver looked at me with concerned eyes. Lisette ran up and pressed the back of her right hand against my forehead. "Are you coming down with something?" she asked, clearly worried. I shook her hand off and gave her a wry smile.

"Relax. I had a bad sleep last night, that's all. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I sat down next to her at the dining table. Delicacies of various sorts were laid out in front of my eyes. I honestly wanted to gobble up every single one of them, but I stopped my hand as it had started inching its way towards a tall cake. Today was the last day of training. It wouldn't do for me to throw up on the floor of the training room on my last day. This was my final opportunity to gain some allies. I couldn't ruin it.

Apparently Silver thought the same. He reached out and stopped my hand. "Otto, stop. You shouldn't stuff yourself. You don't wanna leave a bad impression on your last day of training." The Victor from One said. I nodded and settled myself with a delicious bowl of fruits for which I couldn't come up with names. Slowly I plucked fruits up one and chewed them carefully, letting the action aid my mind in relieving itself of the horror of the dream.

Not too later, I found myself riding down the elevator with Lisette. The people we shared the lift with were the pair from Nine. The boy stayed silent and stared out the glass surface of the elevator, while the girl snarkily raised her eyebrow at e when I glanced her way. As the lift doors opened, I found myself slightly glad to be relieved of their company. Lisette took my hand and led me to the slingshot station. As I worked my fingers with the weapon, aiming for eyes, hearts and throats of the dummies, I smiled. I had finally a weapon didn't completely stink at. I'd known from the first day of training that this was the weapon for me. If I could aim and hit hard enough with a sharp rock and vital body part, I could actually be pretty dangerous with this. Lisette laughed and patted me on the back.

"Well, at least one of us has talents with weapons. Looks like I'm gonna be the survival one in our alliance." She said.

"Speaking of which, can we talk?" a voice behind us made us whip around in surprise. There stood the pair from eleven, April and Dwayne. April seemed to be a little younger than me, while Dwayne seemed to be a few years older. Dwayne had his arms crossed over his chest with a small smirk on his face. April simply looked at us.

"Talk?" Lisette asked, sounding a little suspicious. The two walked over to us. "We were thinking, would you want to ally with us? I'm fairly good with a spear, and April here is the master of camouflage. We figured Otto was good with the slingshot, giving us some advantage in ranged combat, and you, Lisette, seem to have survival skills worth giving credit. So, would you like to ally with us?" Dwayne asked, tilting his head to the side.

I looked at Lisette. Dwayne's logic seemed awfully correct. With our combined skills, we might actually make good adversaries. Lisette's eyes told me all I needed to know. I looked back at them and nodded.

"We're in."

 **Nova Pines (13) – D10 Female:**

This was beyond annoying. If my weapon had been real, I would have ended up dead. Thankfully Colt advised using a prototype since I actually had no idea how to use an axe. Why was I at the axe station, you ask? Well, because being equipped with only a few small knives wouldn't help me at all if a large career like the boys from Two and Four were after me. I highly doubted they would be defeated with a dagger the length of my forearm. I needed something more intimidating.

However, I soon discovered that axes were not my cup of tea. I looked around to see if anyone else was at my station, and spotted the spunky tomboyish girl from Ten. Her short hair was pulled back in a bandana, and she'd rolled up her half-sleeves, making her look slightly more lithe than she was. Which wasn't really saying all that much. However, the ease with which she swung the axe and hit the dummies was worth giving credit. She'd probably been throwing around axes since she'd learnt to walk, but I could see that she loved the weapon. She treated it as though it were simply an extension of her arm.

She caught me staring and stopped mid-swing. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Did someone paint on my face? I swear, if those god-forsaken stylists did any of their damned inking on my face, I'll throw them off the roof myself, force field or not."

I coughed. "Excuse me?" I asked, slightly confused by her bizarre statement. She shrugged. "Well you were staring at me like I dropped from space, so I thought they tattooed my face again." She replied, not seeming bothered in the slightest of how crazy her remark sounded. I took a moment, but shook my head. "No, your face is fine. I was just looking at the way you swung your axe. I've been trying for a while." I said. I waited for her to say something, maybe offer her help. The latter would have done just fine. But she grinned and gave me a two-finger salute, then turned back to the dummy and continued her maneuvers. I stared at her some more. This girl didn't seem to be very well versed with common signs and hidden meanings. Something told me she'd only understand what I was trying to tell her if I took a signboard and waved it in her face going "HELP NEEDED! EXTREME DOOF OVER HERE!"

I sighed, knowing I wasn't getting anywhere. I lifted the axe once more and swung it at the dummy with all my strength. I lodged itself in the stomach. I would have been really proud of it, had I not been aiming for the neck. I yanked it out, only to have a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Colt's face, smiling down at me.

" I know. Trust me, I just discovered that using swords is not as easy as it looks. I think my hands fell off somewhere near the station." He patted my shoulder. "Maybe you should try putting a little more force into the swing, rather than on the impact?" he suggested. True, he had no experience with axes, but it wouldn't hurt to try. I did what he advised and swung at the dummy once more.

The axe slipped out of my hand and embedded itself on the dummy next to mine. I stamped my foot on the ground in frustration. Why wouldn't I get this? The girl from Seven, Nick, she made it look so easy! And here I was, trying to hit the right dummy. I was about to stomp away from the station, finally done with axes, having accepted my incompetence, when a laugh sounded from behind me.

I looked around to see Nick with her hand against the body of a dummy, laughing. I looked at her skeptically. "Sorry," she said between fits of laughter, it's just that the way you hold the axe is hilarious. Hold it like that, and you'll be lucky not swinging it into your own noggin' during a fight."

I was about to tell her off for being so rude, when she walked up to me and took out my axe from the dummy. She placed the axe in my hand, setting down her own. She moved my fingers closer to the blade. "If you're swinging at your opponent, you should hold it closer to the blade, that'll give you more force and much more control over your swings. If you're throwing it, you hold it closer to the end. You're doing it the other way round." She advised. I pondered her words for a moment. What she was saying seemed to be correct. I'd seen her do a similar thing. But why would she be helping me?

My line of thought was cut off by a high pitched, extremely annoying voice. "Oh my gosh, do you like, see all these people? I mean, why don't those handsome hunks from Four and Two come over? I mean, the careers, like wow! But all we get is outer-district roadkills." Nick rolled her eyes. She leaned in closer to me and Colt. "A trainer over here. She's been going on about the 'candy canes' from the career districts since morning. I could stab her head right now." She whispered. My eyes widened. I'd heard about this trainer, yes. She seemed to be the daughter of some retired Gamemaker.

I looked in her direction. Her hair was completely blue, and her skin was bright red. She was the only trainer who looked so bizarre. Her stance was that of those typical popular girls in our school. The ones who were so full of themselves and spent every waking hour thinking about boys. I hated their species.

She didn't stop though. She was clearly trying to be soft, but with that voice, I didn't think it possible. Her lips were set in a permanent pout. "Like, ewww, have you seen these guys? They seem to never have lifted a weapon in their lives! They are sooo bloodbaths! And ugh, their hair! Especially that girl from Seven. I mean, I don't think the Capitol is going to enjoy these Games at all! All of these guys are probably gonna be blood-"

BAM!

My brain wasn't fast enough to comprehend what had just happened. I'd just seen Nick's fingers curl tighter around the axe handle, and then the trainer's speech was cut off midway. As my mind caught up to the situation, I let out a gasp.

Nick's axe was sticking out of the wall against which the trainer was leaning, Nick holding on firmly to the handle. The blade had found its mark in the wall not centimeters away from the trainer's face. A look of abject horror was frozen on her face. The man beside her, who she'd been talking to, was smirking. Apparently he hadn't enjoyed her company as much as she'd thought. Nick was glaring at the trainer, who still hadn't gotten over the shock of having an axe being stuck centimeters from her face.

I couldn't believe it. Nick had actually had the guts to swing an axe at the trainer!? I could see the Gamemakers watching her with interest. This move wasn't only rash, it was incredibly risky and probably against her interests. Nick turned to face me, not taking her hand off the weapon.

"See, Nova? When you want to swing your axe at poor little unsuspecting damsels, you hold it like this? Did the demo help?" she asked. I gulped, but managed a nod. Colt stood beside me, his jaw hanging open. Neither of us had expected such a daredevil move from Nick. The trainer seemed to snap out of her shock.

"How DARE you!? I'm a trainer! How can you simply attack me like that!? It's against the rules!" She cried. I honestly wouldn't have minded throwing my own axe at her, if that meant getting her to shut up. Nick pulled the axe out and stepped back, looking at her with an innocent expression.

"Who, me? I'm sorry, I never attacked you. I simply swung my axe at the wall, and you simply happened to be there. Did I hurt you?" mock regret dripped from her voice. The trainer seemed like she would start screeching all over again, but the man beside her stepped up. "Lindsay, I'd say you go home for the day. It's been long and tiring… wouldn't want your beautiful face getting messed up." He said. Nick waited until Lindsay had turned away before pretending to gag. Lindsay glared at her, and she immediately stood up straight, smiling sweetly at her. Lindsay huffed and stomped off, much to Nick;s amusement. She burst out laughing.

"That could spell serious trouble for you, Nick." Colt warned. He'd been surprisingly quiet this while. The trainer who'd shooed Lindsay away stepped up to us and scoffed. "I don't think so. Nick didn't hurt her, and from the Gamemaker's expressions, I'd say they found her to be pretty entertaining. They won't pass up entertainment. I know I won't." he said. He winked at Nick, and walked off towards the water fountain after ruffling her hair.

Nick turned to Colt and I and smirked. "Mate, I volunteered for the Hunger Games because I knew my friend wouldn't make it past the bloodbath. I've been suspended from school for blowing up the aquarium in the teacher's cabin. I'd say I'm known for stupid and dangerous decisions."

She blew her flicks out of her face. I couldn't help but stare at her. If I was reckless, she doubled that ten times over. If I was immature, she made it look bleak in comparison. I didn't know how this impulsiveness would help her in the Games, and I had a feeling it really wouldn't. She shrugged again.

"Besides." She said, grinning that mischievous grin which made her look like an elf, "her voice was getting annoying."

 **Lawson Dean(18)- D2 Male:**

I smiled, proud of my work. The dummy in front of me was torn to shreds. I looked at the massive sword in my hands and grinned. Babies like this one were what would lead me back home. I smiled wider upon remembering my parent's faces. My mother's warm smile, my father's hand on my shoulder, guiding me ahead. I'd never been one for emotional stuff, but thinking about my parents made me stop for a second. I sighed. I would make it back to them, and I would make the proud. I would let the whole country know me.

"Nice job, Dean. Except your opponent will rarely ever be a wooden dummy with no weapons." I heard a voice behind me. I groaned. "What are you doing here, Kyle?" I asked, turning to face him. He walked up to the mat and shrugged. "I was thinking about honing my skills with the sword. So, Lawson? What do you think? You think you can be so destructive against a trained career from Four?" he smirked, stepping closer to me.

I was a little confused. Kyle usually wasn't one to go around voluntarily looking for fights. I looked to my side to see Bellona watching us with interest. Something nagged at the back of my head, but at the current moment, I was drowning in too much anger to think anything of it.

How dare this weak career stand up to me! Four was always the weakest of the career districts. They weren't even true careers. And this Kyle simply thought he could get away with challenging me like that? Me, Lawson Dean of District Two, son of a Peacekeeper and the Mayor? Me, who was destined to win the Hunger Games as the Leader of the careers since I'd learned to walk?

Not while I could help it.

"Game on Daniels."

I steadied my sword and looked into Kyle's determined green eyes. We matched each other in height, but he fought with grace, while I relied on strength. Kyle set his jaw in a firm line and walked over to pick up another sword. He weighed it in his hands and turned to me, as he stood opposite me on the mat. "You don't know what you're facing Lawson." He sneered. I sneered right back. "Feeling's mutual, Daniels."

We didn't waste another moment. We came at each other with full force. With so much anger boiling inside of me, I didn't even care whether I hurt him or not. I swung at his head with my blade, but he ducked and stabbed at my ribs. I jumped out of the way just in time, and caught his wrist. I was about to smile triumphantly, when he shot out his leg and kicked me in the stomach. I stumbled back, and glared at him.

I was so angry I couldn't even speak. I swung my sword again, but he blocked it with his own. Using y free hand, I brought out my fist to punch him in the face, but he ducked that too. He tried swinging at me, but I rolled out of the way and jabbed my sword at his legs. He managed to jump and avoid them, but in the effort lost his footing and fell over. Taking advantage of this, I jumped up and stabbed downward. He brought his sword from nowhere and blocked my blow. Had he not, it would surely have pierced his heart. He kicked e back and stood up. He wiped the small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

And on and on it went. I slashed, he parried. Our minds weren't even minds anymore. They were the controllers of machines. I ignored the throbbing pain in my hands, in my legs, in my head. I could feel my clothes stuck to me in sweat. Kyle's hair was matted to his forehead in perspiration. Both of us were red from exhaustion and tire. My chest felt tight and I was breathing hard. But we weren't about to give up. We would finally prove who was better.

And that's when the mistake happened. Unfortunately, it was my mistake. I jabbed my sword at his side, and he dodged it. However he stabbed at me with his free hand, and having my sword-hand occupied, I wasn't able to block it. In an attempt to evade his strike, I turned my body to the right, but lost my grip on my sword. Kyle backed me up to the wall, his sword pressed into my throat.

I wasn't about to give up yet. I brought up my fist to punch him, when a sharp whistle stopped me. Kyle stepped away from me as our eyes landed on the trainer. He was scowling at us. He did NOT look pleased.

"This, boys, is training. Save your fights for the Games. Any more of the spar, and one of you would've ended up dead. I don't care what you have to say. No one fights this zealously during training. No tribute should be hurt before the Games. Understood?" he looked at us in a reprimanding way.

Kyle looked at me. "Wow, Law. You fight well." I could hear every drop of hatred in his voice. He turned to the trainer. "Understood, Sir." He said. The Trainer looked at me. I glared at Kyle. "You too, Four." I said, calling him by his district, something we did with outer district scums. "Understood sir." I grumbled. Unable to take it anymore, I threw y sword on the ground and walked away from the mat, to the water counter, which was slightly away from the major part of the training centre.

I grabbed a glass from the counter and held it under the filter. I watched the clear liquid fill the glass, but my vision was tinted red. This wasn't finished. Of course, I wouldn't break off our alliance with him, he was too valuable for that. But I wasn't going to forget this. Nobody challenged me like that. And no one could have the audacity to humiliate me. If the Trainer hadn't intervened, I would've shown him his place. Now the other careers saw the fight end with him holding his sword to my throat. I felt humiliated, even though I hadn't technically lost the fight. I was sure Siobhan and perhaps Bellona would stay on my side, and while Anna would definitely join Kyle, I had no idea about Almiro.

But it didn't matter. I was the most dangerous tribute here, and no boy from Four could simply come up and try to defeat me like that.

I didn't realize how hard my finger had been clutching the glass. I felt it crack, but my mind was too occupied with thought. My string of thoughts were only broken when I felt the glass shatter. I cried out in pain and dropped it, or what was remaining of it. Glass shards stuck out of my palm. The y shirt was littered with my blood. Pain flooded through my hand. I could see the blood slowly drip onto the floor. The water was also tinted red. I grit my teeth. Sure I was in pain. But there was no way I was going to ask anyone for help.

"Oh my gosh! You're hurt!" A soft voice cried out from behind me. I turned to see the little girl from Six, Lisette, staring at me with wide eyes. She grabbed something off her table and ran towards me. She'd been at the medicinal plants station, which was the closest to the water fountain. She grabbed y hand and started trying to pull out the glass shards stuck in my skin, when I remembered who she was. I yanked my hand away. "Get away from me, you outer district scum!" I ordered.

Lisette stepped back, obviously offended. "Listen, Lawson. If you don't get that thing treated, it'll get infected. You could go to the medics, but you would have to explain to your friends in the career pack over there how you hurt yourself in the first place. I'm helping you because I don't like seeing people hurt. But I guess you're just too good for that." She huffed in a childish manner. She started to walk away, when I pondered what she'd said.

"Wait!" I called out. She turned to me immediately with a big smile on her face, as though she'd been praying I'd do this. I rolled my eyes. "If you think you can fix this, do it. But one thing goes wrong, and I'm coming after you in the bloodbath." I threatened. She glared at me, which honestly didn't look all that terrifying with her big brown eyes. She got to work on my hand.

As she slowly pulled the shards out of my hand, I flinched, but didn't say anything. It hurt a lot, but I knew this was for my own good. She placed all the removed shards away when she was sure none more remained. She took a cloth and wiped away the blood, using some water from the filter. Thankfully this station was so secluded, no one noticed us. I didn't want to be seen with a twelve-year old helping me with my injured hand. Fortunately this was my left hand, so it wouldn't hamper my fighting.

Lisette dabbed something else onto my hand with a cloth and finished by wrapping it in a kerchief. She stepped back, pleased. She grinned up widely at me. "Done!" She declared. "I made that paste myself. The trainer said it would work on any sort of cut. I'm really proud of it. Your hand should feel better by evening." She informed me. I looked down at my hand.

This girl had helped me without any personal gain. She'd done it out of her good heart. After waiting for a few minutes for me to say something, seeing I didn't, she started walking away again. However, it didn't matter how ruthless I was. If someone helped me out of good heart, I wouldn't let that go unseen.

"Lisette wait!"

She turned around, a big expectant smile on her face. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips too, but I managed to keep it concealed. I wasn't going to show any weakness. But she had helped me. That deserved something in return.

"Thank you."

Her smile was one of the biggest I'd seen.

~.~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: I KNOW! I'M DREADFULLY LATE! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE! I HAVE REASONS! SERIOUSLY!**

 **This whole week, I didn't have time to breathe. Wayy too many projects. Today I finally got time, so I thought I'd done grave injustice to y'all, and I wrote up 5000 words. It may be relatively shorter, but the events, I didn't want to drag out. And plus, I wanted to give y'all awesome peeps a chapter. Since I've been such an idiot and made you guys wait so long. (well, and its like one am here, and I' half asleep, lol)**

 **But please. Please don't think I' ever going to abandon this story. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! I promise. Really.**

 **So? Tell me how y'all liked this chapter, okay? I had a lot of fun writing it! Hopefully y'all enjoyed! Please review!**

 **Alliances:**

 **Almiro, Kyle, Lawson, Anna, Siobhan, Bellona**

 **Dwayne, April, Otto, Lisette**

 **Colt, Nova**

 **Absalom, Frankie**

 **Avena, Eva, Blake**

 **Hartley**

 **Nick**

 **Regina**

 **Raymond**

 **Gigi**

 **Isaac**

 **Ruben**


	23. Private Sessions

**Private Sessions:**

 **Isaac Data (12) – D3 Male:**

I was practically shaking. I needed to calm my nerves, but somehow couldn't. I simply couldn't calm myself down. The closer we got to the Games, the more jittery I became. I hadn't been able to form an alliance, but had successfully been rejected by one.

I'd seen the Eleven pair ally with the ones from Six. Both tributes from Six seemed much weaker than I was, so I assumed they would also take me in. However, when I had approached them about it, they'd flat out told me off.

The girl from Eleven, April, she'd looked at me in a creepy way, as though she were observing every little detail about me. Even the little girl from Six had been wary of me. The boy from Six had melted into the background, and the boy from Eleven had broken the news to me. They'd told me they couldn't see how allying with me would benefit them.

Anger and rage had boiled inside of me. I'd begun seeing red, but they'd walked off, so I couldn't actually have done something. I hated them. How could they simply tell me I didn't have it in me!? They'd pretty much told me I was weaker than even some little kid from Six. Sure, I wasn't the biggest guy around. But I was fairly sure I had more skills than the pair from Six, at the least, if not all of them.

"Isaac? I'm beginning to get a little worried about you. Are you alright?" Beetee asked. He put a hand on my shoulder. Gigabyte laughed. "The squirt's just pissed that those pairs from Eleven and Six told him to shove his face in a toilet."

I glared at her. "I don't recall them putting it like that." I said. She smirked. "I heard it that way. Way to get yourself humiliated, bird brain." She was pushing me to my limits. I sneered. "Oh yeah? Well at least I didn't stupidly charge at the trained girl from Eight who's in with the careers and gotten my butt handed to me." I snapped back. Her eyes narrowed.

"Watch it there Data. I could drive this knife into your throat right now." Gigi threatened. I simply laughed. "That would have been scary coming from a career. Coming from a person who isn't more than an inch taller than me, not so much."

Gigi started to get up from her seat when Beetee intervened. He stepped in front of her, arms held out. "Woah woah woah… Hold it there, you two. I can see we didn't exactly hit it off, but having your district partner as a rival usually doesn't end well for the Tributes. Sit back down Gigi." He ordered. Gigi glared at me, but obeyed. "Whatever. I'm not getting killed because of my bullcrap district partner." She muttered. I muttered back some profane curses, but she thankfully didn't hear me.

Beetee sighed. "Right. Today is very important. And I stress on _very_. Getting higher scored means more sponsors. However, lower scores also get you an advantage. It makes people write you off, so you won't be targeted at the bloodbath. So, which one will you go for?"

"Well, high scores, duh. I want people to remember me, not write me off." Gigi stated, sounding aloof. Beetee shrugged, which was his way of respecting her decision. "And you, Isaac?"

"High scores, obviously. I can achieve it, I'm not weaker than anyone else. I'm gonna show up everyone who said I can't"

Beetee looked at me, worried. I raised my eyebrow at him. He shook his head. "I'm worried about you Isaac. I don't want you getting hurt. I know you have skills, but you may just not have the brawn."

I glared at him. "Beetee, I can do this. I'm going to shove my score in every one of their faces."

Beetee gave me a wary look but didn't say anything.

 **Thaddeus Sheen (Head of Traps and Mutts):**

He took a careful sip of his blue drink. He honestly didn't even know what it was. As soon as it touched his lips, a burning sensation ripped through his body, and he retched. He set the glass down and shook his head, trying to get the drowsiness out of his head.

"Ah, Thaddeus. Still a little too young to have a shocksizer, eh? That's the name of the drink, young man." Bruce Heathers patted his back. Thaddeus laughed uneasily and shook his head again. "I guess not, Sir."

He was a little more than nervous. He sat uneasily in his chair. Sure, he was the Head of Traps and Mutts, but he was a Gamemaker. Which was why now he was sitting in his seat, looking into the Training room. The Private sessions were about to begin, and Thaddeus could not sit still. He couldn't believe they were about to mark someone on their ability to show potential for taking another's life. He remembered his session. He'd made a trap with nothing but leaves. When a trainer with years of experience had come to examine his trap, he found some flaws in it. He turned to tell the Gamemakers about it, and from the equipment Thaddeus had 'thrown away' sprung forward a rope, entangling the Trainer immediately.

Thaddeus had gotten a nine in training. He was called the Master of Deception. He couldn't deny he played his game by illusions, but there was a difference between tying up a trainer with rope and setting up a trap to cut off someone's head. Now, every time he went out in public, he was referred to as the Master of Deception, rubbing into his face the fact that he'd taken lives of people his age by his talent with traps.

His fingers curled around the handle of his chair. He hated every last shred of his job, but it kept his family safe. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around into the blue eyes of Rayne, his best friend. The only person who understood him; the only person outside of his family he trusted with his whole heart. The Capitol had very quickly discovered Rayne's skill with distractions. She'd have one focusing so intently on something while the neglected was where the damage was done.

"Thaddeus, I know how this must be. But you can't let emotions distract you." She said, her tone dead serious. Thaddeus nodded. Every year was the same. Judging Tributes, giving them scores, watching them enjoy the last interview night, then watching them kill each other in the Games. Thaddeus knew he had to get used to it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Let the Private Sessions begin!" Bruce Heathers announced, spreading his arms. He turned away and bent over the microphone.

"Regina Anna Pasternack, District One." He called. Thaddeus sighed. Here it went.

Regina looked ahead when she walked in. She looked confident, but Thaddeus could see right through her façade. This girl wasn't trained. Not one bit. He could see in her delicate hands that she'd never held a weapon in her hand. She had a small stature, so would probably be quick on her feet.

Thaddeus' guess wasn't wrong. She made her way straight to the tracks, without so much as glancing towards the Gamemakers. Rayne looked at her friend with a mock offended expression. "Rude." She muttered, then laughed. Thaddeus managed a smile. Regina started running, and Thaddeus could see why she'd chosen to show them this talent. She was pretty fast. Unfortunately, speed only got one so far in the Games. She slowed down to a stop, did a small dainty courtesy towards the Gamemakers and walked out. Thaddeus glanced at Rayne.

They all wrote down their scores. After all the sessions got over, they'd discuss all their scores and select the best fitting. Bruce called out the next name.

Almiro Fitzroy walked in, glaring at the Gamemakers. Thaddeus discreetly smiled. One didn't get to see many careers who glared at Gamemakers. He nodded in their direction and when Bruce nodded back, he walked over to the sword station. He picked up a sword and started hacking at the dummy. Thaddeus smiled wider. This guy was good. He feigned some of the best fakes Thaddeus had seen. He finished by rolling to the side and then bringing his sword up and running it through the dummy's chest. But he didn't stop. He walked over to the miscellaneous weapons station and picked up a three pound hammer. He walked back to the dummy and swung the hammer to its chest with so much force, that not only did the dummy break from the midsection, but so did the pedestal. With that much force, he would simply chop someone in half. He threw down the hammer and nodded at us again.

Thaddeus had barely finished writing down his score when the next person came in. Siobhan looked as confident and beautiful as ever. As she walked over to the centre of the station, she stopped to wink at Thaddeus and a few other relatively young Gamemakers. She kept on walking ahead, as Bruce shot them all an amused look. She walked up to the archery unit and picked up an intricate looking bow. After firing a few rounds, it became clear she was an ace at it. Apparently not feeling the need to do anything else, she simply walked over to the nearest dummy and disemboweled it with her bow.

"Lawson Dean, District Two." Bruce called as Siobhan walked out. Lawson walked in, confident and proud. He nodded formally at the Gamemakers and after receiving one in return from Bruce, he walked over to the swords station. He beckoned to a Trainer, which was a pretty dangerous move. However, once they started sparring, they could see the reason. Lawson was a demon with the sword. He disarmed one of their most skilled Trainers within a few minutes. Realizing he had only a minute left, he walked over to the axe station and threw some bulls eyes with axes.

"Gigabyte Clearwater, District Three."

Gigabyte walked in with a smirk on her face. She stopped in front of the Gamemakers until Bruce gave his nod. As soon as he gave it, she walked over to the plants station. Thaddeus could see her furiously working with some plants. He assumed she was going to show them survival skills, but after two minutes, she stepped away to admire her work. She held up a vial of some kind of purple liquid for the Gamemakers to see. She walked over to a steel table, still holding it up. Smirking again, she tipped her hand and poured it all over the table. At first nothing happened, but gradually the table started smoking. Within minutes, her poison had burnt a clear hole through the table.

The next boy fell pale in comparison. He simply walked in and went over to the climbing station. He was a pretty skilled climber, but that wouldn't help all that much in the Games. He showed them his ability to distinguish between plants, but he could tell they weren't impressed. He fired a few shots with a slingshot, and finally did the Gamemakers start seeing some potential in him. Bowing low, he walked out.

Anna Austen was next. She made her way over to knives and picked a small one up. She hit the dummy in some pretty vital organs, but her impacts weren't hard enough to kill. After a while she realized this wasn't going to get her scores. Instead, she walked over to the medicinal plants station and her hands literally flew over the equipment. After a while she held up a vial similar to Gigabyte's, but Thaddeus knew this wasn't harmful. She poured an available poison on a flower, and then poured her brew on it. Immediately the plant started healing. Within minutes it showed no signs of a poison attack.

Kyle Daniels was much awaited. Rayne let out a whistle as he walked over to the centre. He bowed down politely, and after getting acknowledgement from Bruce, he walked over to the trident station and picked up the most elegant yet massive one. He called out a trainer and started sparring. Thaddeus wanted to stand up and clap. Kyle had a grace in his movements. He easily defeated the trainer. He then proceeded to spar with the trainer using a machete and sword. On seeing the Gamemakers impressed, he smiled and walked out.

Frankie-Leigh Voltz was after him. She, like Almiro, glared at the Gamemakers and walked on ahead. She went to the knife throwing station and picked out a range of kunai knives. She stepped in front of the target and took a deep breath. Then she started throwing. She didn't hit every single one of them as bulls-eyes, but she was pretty damn good. If she hit vital organs with those, she could do some serious damage. She threw her last knife where the eye would have been and ended her session.

As Raymond Tate walked in, the Gamemakers were starting to get restless. Thaddeus had refrained from drinking, but not many others were as chivalrous as him. Rayne looked at him, exasperated. Raymond took to the dagger station. He lined up three dummies around him, and got to work. He hack and slashed like a demon. Thaddeus couldn't believe a twelve year old could be so ruthless. Within moment the dummies were nothing but shreds. He grinned up at the Gamemakers, obviously pleased with himself. He set his dagger down and walked away.

Lisette Osborn was next. Like Anna, she walked over to the medicinal station. She, _unlike_ Anna, worked gently and subtly. After she finished her work, she grabbed a knife from the knife station, and cut a gash on her palm. Flinching, she poured her liquid over her wound. It showed results almost in a flash. Within moments her hand only showed signs of a minor cut.

Otto Freight came in looking nervous. He simply went to the slingshot station and picked up a few darts. He went over to the poisonous plants station and picked up a vial of poison. He dipped the darts in it, and using his slingshot, shot them at the dummies. Within moments, the dummies were but recognizable. They had melted into nothing. The Gamemakers were impressed with the tact, but unfortunately it wasn't too promising.

Dominique Noelle was next. She walked in and gave the Gamemakers a two-finger salute. She smirked at them mischievously, as though she shared some inside joke with them. She walked over to the axe station and picked up two axes. She lined up four dummies, two close to her, one located far. She worked on the close ones first. She demolished them with the axe, and finished them by chopping off one's head and another's entire chest. The she turned around and threw her axes at the third. One landed in the chest, and the other took off its head in a clean stroke.

Absalom walked in with a relatively subtler entrance than his district partner. He picked up a massive chainsaw from the miscellaneous weapons section, and called out a Trainer, who used a sword. As he fought with the chainsaw, The Gamemakers couldn't help but be impressed. He relied on stealth as well as strength; a perfect combination. He didn't disarm the Gamemaker, but instead he ran his chainsaw through his weapon, slicing the word in half. He took a neat bow and walked out.

Bellona Irving came in similar to Siobhan. She did a courtesy at the Gamemakers and picked out a sleek sword. She attacked a few dummies first, and after completely obliterating them, beckoned to a trainer. The not-so-subtly exhausted trainer picked up an axe and walked over to her. As she fought him, Thaddeus noticed the stamina of the Trainer going down. However, Bellona played a mind game. She stalled her opponent. Once she was sure he was absolutely drained, she disarmed him.

Thaddeus was _not_ looking forward to seeing Ruben Van der Valt. The beast from Eight walked in, and when he asked for an Avox to display his talents on, Thaddeus refused outright. He told him he should show his talents on a skilled person to impress them. Agreeing with his logic, Bruce called out another Trainer, seeing the previous was drawn out. Before he could even pick up a weapon, Ruben snatched up a knife and pinned him to the ground. To their horror, he began cutting up the Trainer's flesh, smelling the blood on his blade. He was a monster, Thaddeus decided. Bruce watched him for a while, with an extremely amused smile on his face, before asking him to stop. Ruben got up, wiped the blood on his blade off on his shirt, and walked out, just as medics carried the young but injured trainer away.

As Avena walked in, the Gamemakers didn't know what to expect. She went over to the wrestling station and asked for three people to fight. Seeing as to the fact that she wasn't likely to harm them too much, they allowed three avoxes to face her. She fought with her hands like a beast. She clearly had experience in fighting. She'd knocked two unconscious and was pinning the third on the ground by the time she was finished. She smiled at the Gamemakers and walked out.

Hartley came in next, looking like his sullen self. He walked over to the sickle section and got to work on two dummies. He used his strength and moves to completely destroy the dummies. He knocked down one of them, right off the pedestal, and drove his sickle into the back of another. He took the sickle out and threw it down at the other one. Apparently feeling this wasn't enough, he showed them his knowledge of edible plants.

Nova Pines was interesting to watch. She made her way to the knives station, and lined up _five_ dummies, arranged in a circle. She took to sleek daggers in her hands, and sneered. She moved so fast they could barely see her. All they saw was hacking and dicing and slicing. Within moments the dummies were headless and all had nice big holes through their chests. Nova bowed down low and ended her session.

Colt Marshall was the first to come in with an easygoing smile. His cheerful demeanor made Thaddeus doubt his skills with weapons. His doubt couldn't have been more wrong. Colt picked up a range of throwing knives and walked over to the target. He hit a few bulls eyes, then stopped. He called out a Trainer who came out warily. However, he didn't want to spar. He asked the Trainer some =thing unintelligible, and walked over to stand at a distance of ten feet from him. The trainer picked up a few disks, and started launching them through the air. Colt's hands were practically invisible as he threw the knives at the zipping disks. When he was finished, the Gamemakers almost started clapping when they saw that every single one had hit pretty much the centre of the disks.

April Smith came in looking confident. She was young, but she looked sure of herself. She made her way to the swimming pool and dived in with a flawless dive. The Gamemakers were surprised with her beautiful strokes, since not many from Eleven knew how to swim. However, she wasn't done. She went to the camouflage station, and within moments had herself painted into a tree, which was one of the best camouflages Thaddeus had seen in quite a while.

Dwayne McCane was after her. He was the first to make her way to the spears station, and weighed three spears in his hand. He placed three dummies in different distances from himself, and got ready. He threw his spears, and they pierced the dummies through the hearts. But he wasn't finished. He picked up three javelins, and threw them just as well. They took off the dummies' heads. Bruce Heathers laughed, but it was an impressed laugh.

Evangeline Scott was the last girl. She walked over to the edible plants station, and switched on the screen. She surprised them with her knowledge of plants. But what surprised them even more was when she asked for a Trainer. A young lady walked over to her on the wrestling mat, and they started fighting. This little girl from Twelve knew how to defend herself. Yes, she was defeated, but she'd put up a good fight.

By the time Blake Coleman walked in, Thaddeus was just about done with this. He simply wanted to go back to his room. However, he didn't want to do Blake injustice by not paying attention. Blake too called someone to spar with, and picked up a few knives. The lady who'd gone for Evangeline went forward to Blake too. He smiled at her, then ran at her. At first they were matched equally, but then Blake jabbed at her, and she caught his wrist. She disarmed his and pinned a knife to his throat, but he only smirked and in a flash, brought out a hidden knife from his belt and poked the point to her waist. She laughed and backed away. Thaddeus had noticed him tuck away the knife, but apparently no one else had.

Thaddeus leaned into his chair, exhausted. He was done with all of this. He couldn't believe all these people would have to kill each other. He wanted to go away, but his job wasn't done yet. The scores remained…

 **Gigabyte Clearwater (15)- D3 Female:**

I couldn't help but nervously tap my feet as we sat waiting for the scores. I figured I had done enough, but maybe my enough wasn't _enough_? Oh well, we would have to see. I let out a breath as the scores started.

The boy from One pulled out a Nine, which was expected of a career. However, the girl got a Three. I hadn't expected her to get so low. However, I also hadn't expected her dainty little hands to be able to handle weapons.

The large career from Two pulled out a _Ten_. While I knew he was one of the biggest threats, this was really high. I pegged him as even more dangerous. The girl got an eight, which was also high, though not as high as her partner.

My heart hammered in my ribs as they showed Isaac's name. I was next. Isaac got a four, and I didn't even bother teasing him. I held my breath as they showed my name. Under it flashed a… Six! I couldn't believe it! I was only two below the career from Two! I was pretty impressed, and I could see Beetee was too. Isaac seemed grumpy, but I couldn't care less.

The gorgeous boy from Four also pulled out a Ten. I smirked. This was bound to cause jealousy and rivalry. Not that there already wasn't. However, the girl also got pretty low with only a Four. Wow, seemed like only the girl from Two was skilled of the female careers this year.

The boy from Five got a six too, which made him competition in my eyes. He was one twisted kid. The girl got a seven, which was pretty high for District Five. These two were threats. Definitely.

The boy from Six got a five, which was unsurprising. Sixes very rarely pulled out scores too high. Even the girl got a Six, same as me. This surprised me slightly. I hadn't expected her to get above a four.

The tall guy from Seven got an eight, which pegged him as an immediate threat in my mind. He apparently wasn't just strong, but also clever and skilled. The girl got a seven, which was also really high for an outer district. She must've had some spunk.

The monster from Eight pulled out an _eleven_! I almost laughed. I should've known the psycho would get an eleven. I entertained the thought that he may have even murdered someone in there. The girl, the daughter of the victors, she pulled out a nine, which was really high for an outer district.

From Nine, both pulled out sevens. The girl seemed like she had a fire in her, and the boy was obviously strong. He was also a threat. They had to be taken out.

The charming boy from Ten got a nine, which made me gasp. I didn't know whether to be jealous or sad for him. He got a high score, but that would make him a big target for the careers. This guy simply had a way of attracting unwanted attention. Even the little girl got a seven. She must have been good. I admired that in her.

The easygoing boy from Eleven got an eight, which was more than I'd thought he'd get. Even the girl got a six, like me. Many younger tributes had gotten as high as me. Now I was beginning to feel my score wasn't all that high. I shook it off. I would show everyone who I was.

The charismatic boy from Twelve got an eight, which was not something I'd expected of a Twelve guy. He must have had some serious skill. Pretty words wouldn't get you that far. The girl got a five, which was hella surprising. I hadn't expected a shy twelve year old to get a Five. I'd seen her getting a three.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. The tributes this year were very skilled. Though most had gotten average, many had also been surprising. I knew my score was good enough for sponsors, but not enough to make me a target. I smiled to myself.

I would make sure all these people remember Gigabyte Clearwater. And I'd just taken the first step towards that goal.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Another chapter, close to the Games! Next chapter will be the interviews, and then the night before (which I suspect will be pretty long) and then the launch, and THEN THE GAMES! YASSS! I'm on a vacation, so the updates may be a tootsy bit sporadic, but I will never give up on this. Ever.**

 **So? What did you guys think if the scores? I had so much fun writing this, so I hope you liked it too!**

 **Do review!I cannot tell you how much your reviews mean to me. Every single one is so special. Thank you so much y'all, for 268 reviews. I NEVER thought I'd get this much. Thank you so much. :)**

 **If you guys are looking for good stories to read, I have two I'd recommend. The first is Uncertainty: the 67th Hunger Games but RatInvasion. It's a collab with Josephm611. I know for a fact Joseph is an amazing author from his other stories, and RatInvasion seems amazing too! I have a tribute in there, and I look forward to the updates, so y'all can, ya know, go check it out too.**

 **The other is The 25th Hunger Games: District Betrayal by CreativeAJL. I've only recently started reading the story, and I love it. He seems like a really talented author. So, yep! Looking forward to reading what seems like a really good story!**

 **Here are the scores! :)**

 **Almiro Fitzroy: 9**

 **Regina Anna Pasternack: 3**

 **Lawson Dean: 10**

 **Siobhan O'Brian: 8**

 **Isaac Data: 4**

 **Gigabyte Clearwater: 6**

 **Kyle Daniels: 10**

 **Anna Austen: 4**

 **Raymond Tate: 6**

 **Frankie-Leigh Voltz: 7**

 **Otto Freight: 4**

 **Lisette Osborn: 6**

 **Absalom Sawyer: 8**

 **Dominique Noelle: 7**

 **Ruben Van der Valt: 11**

 **Bellona Irving: 9**

 **Hartley Butterwell: 7**

 **Avena Larson: 7**

 **Colt Marshall: 9**

 **Nova Pines: 7**

 **Dwayne McCane: 8**

 **April Smith: 6**

 **Blake Coleman: 8**

 **Evangeline Scott: 5**

 **Until next time then…**


	24. Interviews

**Interviews:**

 **Ruben Van der Valt(18)- D8 Male:**

I shifted in my place. My suit was annoying the hell out of me, but I couldn't do anything. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smirked. Yeah, I wasn't the most handsome chap out there, but I was pretty easy on the eyes. At least, I knew the Capitol ladies would think so. That coupled with the fact that I was the most bloodthirsty person out there, I could see myself getting a fair amount of sponsors.

But I needed blood. I hadn't seen the beautiful red liquid in so long, it made my head ache simply thinking about it. Oh how I wanted to slide my knife across Ice Princess' throat, and watch her writhe in pain. To see her blood as it trickled down her skin. I was going to kill her, one way or another. The girl from Four would die by my hands. And her death would be beautiful.

I don't even know why I wanted to kill her. Maybe it was the fact that she was so nice, it was painful. Maybe because I knew she'd put up a good show when I killed her. Maybe because I knew her screams would be very loud indeed.

But that needed to wait. I couldn't simply go and kill her, that would spoil the moment. But I did need to see someone in pain. The door opened, and my answer walked in, leading to y lips turning up in what I assumed was a twisted smile. I fingered the scissors the prep team had used to trim my hair. I got up from my place and walked over to the Avox standing in front of me, holding out my shoes.

"Well hello there." I said, my voice surprisingly smooth. This was going to be fun. The boy couldn't have been more than seventeen, and he was as thin as a leaf. He looked at me with fear in his eyes; some unknown feeling must have told him what I intended to do. He tried to back up, but I grabbed onto his collar and threw him onto the bed on which my prep team had worked on me. He tried struggling against me, but I was much taller and much stronger than him. I pinned him down and took out the scissors.

"Let's see… shall we do your eyes first? I hear its quite the norm, gouging out eyes. I think we'll differ slightly, shall we? I'll poke them out, how about?" I whispered. The boy was crying, and his pain was simply elixir to my eyes. I'd missed this. I raised the scissors as he shook his head, begins me to stop. I laughed. As if I was going to listen.

I'd begun lowering the scissors, when a voice cut me off.

"Ruben!"

I sighed. I shoved the Avox boy off the table and turned around to face Tony. I rolled my eyes. "What? Can't a boy have his fun?" I whined as I watched the Avox scamper out the door pathetically. Tony regarded me with angry eyes. "Ruben, I don't give a crap what you do to that Avox, and neither does the Capitol. But I stopped you for two reasons. Firstly, that's a designer tuxedo you're wearing, and I don't want any blood on it. Secondly, who knows what the Capitol might say if they find out you tortured a servant? I mean, they probably wouldn't care, but I don't wanna take no chances. You'll have plenty of time for killing once the Games start. Save the bloodlust, okay?"

I scoffed. "I just wish I could get that girl from Four. Man, do I wanna see how she screams." I said, driving the scissors into the bed. Tony simply laughed. "Well, you can get her during the Games. For now, you need to get your butt to the interviews."

I rolled my eyes again and glanced in the mirror. I ran a hand through my mahogany hair and smirked. "Im going to flatten the ladies, aren't I?" I asked Tony. It really was rhetorical. He simply smirked. "Well, I dunno about that, but if you're late, you wont be flattening no one."

 **Dane Evans- Victor of the 56th Hunger Games**

Dane felt slightly uncomfortable amongst all the other mentors. They were all years older than him, with the exception of the boy from One. But even he was at least twice Dane's size. The mentors had to wait in one room, as they watched the interviews on a plasma screen the size of Dane's entire bedroom wall. Dane sat at the corner, away from everyone else, but he couldn't help drawing attention. After all, the victor of the previous Games and the fiasco with Sean Havens made Dane fairly famous. He caught many mentors sneaking glances at him, and Shaunya Shane even blew him a kiss. He pulled the hood of his jacket down lower over his head and stared right ahead at the screen.

As music blasted through the speakers, Dane knew it was time for the interviews to start. He snuck a sidelong glance at Aaran, whose eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. "You think they'll manage the pressure?" he asked. Aaran didn't respond immediately. After a pause almost too long, he sighed. "I don't know, Dane. I remember when you were at your interviews. You were nervous, but you managed it. Frankie's confident enough, and Raymond couldn't be more indifferent about what the Capitol thought of him. They wont be nervous breakdowns, that I'm sure of." The elder man said. Dane nodded.

Frankie's angle was snarky and outgoing, which was the most suitable for her. However, Dane had told her to just be herself. She shouldn't have any problem with that. Raymond was much tougher to find an angle for. For most questions, he'd simply glare at them and brush it off as too personal. Finally they'd decided he could play with mysterious.

Caesar Flickerman made his way onto the stage, and Dane smiled. He'd always liked Caesar. Caesar had made him blush crimson red at his interview, but the guy was genuine and kind. Unlike most Capitolites.

This year Caesar's outfit was bottle green, and his hair and eyebrows were the same color. He raised a hand in the air and the audience quieted down. "Welcome one and welcome all to the Fifty-Seventh Annual HUNGER GAMES! After last year's success, we can hope for so much from these beautiful tributes! So without much further ado, let's call on stage our very first tribute, Regina Anna Pasternack!"

The crowd went crazy as Regina walked onto the stage in that shy yet dainty way of hers. She was wearing a pale green dress which frilled out from the waist to fall all around her in swirls. Her hair had been left open, and the blonde curls fell to her waist. She took her seat opposite Caesar, but Dane could tell she was resisting the urge to run away. If he didn't know better, he would say she was uncomfortable with crowds, and this Capitol audience was one hell of a crowd. Caesar smiled at her.

"Well, Regina, you look beautiful today. Is there anything you want to say to our audience, princess?" He asked. She smiled meekly at him. "Please, call me Ginny. The crowd here is supportive, but they could do with less noise. It kind of hurts my ears." She said. Dane almost laughed. This girl was way too honest. The crowd didn't seem to know what to say to that, so Caesar moved on.

"Right, of course. Ginny. So, what did you feel when you were Reaped for the Games? Were you surprised no one volunteered?"

She shook her head. "The girl chosen for the volunteer is one of the most terrible people I know. She dislikes me, so I suppose that's why she didn't volunteer. I was a little shocked and confused when the escort called out my name, but all I know is I want to make it back to my family and Maeve so we can start a family and have a good life together." She responded. She seemed to be getting used to the audience.

"Aw, Ginny, that's so sweet. So, what are your plans for the Games? Are you in the Career alliance?"

"No, Caesar, I'm not. They are bloodthirsty hounds, with the probable exception of the girl from Four. I want to win this on my own. If I'm going to be the victor, I want it to be because I had the skills. Not because I had a good alliance."

Caesar beamed at her and stood up, Ginny following suit. "Thank you Ginny! I think we all got to know our little princess better, yes? Good luck!"

As Ginny walked away, Caesar turned one more to the audience. "He showed some serious fight at the Reapings, and I think we all want to see him now! Almiro Fitzroy, Ladies and gentlemen!" he called as the boy from One walked on stage. He was in a red suit with a blue shirt. His hair was gelled up. Dane remembered his last name. He looked towards Golden Jett, and his suspicions were confirmed. Golden's face was as hard as stone and devoid of any color. He'd killed Almiro's sister.

"Well, Almiro, that was quite the show at the Reapings. Any thoughts?" Caesar asked. Almiro managed a small smile. "Well, Caesar, I couldn't let some random bloke steal my chance of coming to the Hunger Games, could I? I did what I had to do." He replied.

"Of course, of course. I'm glad you did. Now, Fitzroy, that name is familiar. Two years ago, your sister sat in that very chair. What do you feel about that?"

Almiro's face darkened. Caesar shot him a somewhat apologetic glance, but the words had been spoken. "I loved Minnie, but that won't bring me down. I won't end up with the same fate as her. I'm more prepared and more mature." He said through gritted teeth. Caesar smiled. "And you must have a drive, eh? Someone to return to?"

"Yes, I do. My little sister Becca and my partner Clos. They mean the world to me and I'm going to win this thing for them. I'll do anything it takes."

Caesar patted his hand. "I'm sure you will. Ladies and gentlemen, Almiro Fitzroy!"

Almiro walked off the stage to applause. He'd gotten their sympathy and managed to make himself a threat as well.

"Well, I think we all loved her brother, and now we love her! Let's welcome the stunning Siobhan O'Brian!"

Siobhan walked up in six inch heels and a figure hugging blue dress that brought out the blue in her eyes. She blew the audience a kiss and smiled flirtatiously at Caesar. "Well well well, Siobhan, aren't you looking lovely tonight." He said, as she sat down. She giggled. "Thank you Caesar! We can't have you stealing all the attention, can we?"

Caesar let out a genuine, hearty laugh. Dane could only stare at the girl. Her last name was only too familiar. He couldn't place it all that well, but something about her reminded him of someone. It clawed at his insides, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

That's when Caesar launched his next question. "So, Siobhan. Much like our young man Almiro, your brother too sat in that very chair, only last year. What are your feelings about that?"

Dane's heart just about stopped. Stefan had been Siobhan's _brother_? Guilt crashed down on him as he remembered his sword impaling the boy's chest. He could only imagine what Siobhan felt like. Siobhan's face hardened, and she gave Caesar a sickly sweet smile. "Well, Caesar, I'm going to have my revenge. The boy from Five killed my brother, so I'm going to kill the boy from Five this year. Raymond, sweetheart, you better watch your back. Because my arrow is going to be in it."

The crowd erupted in applause. They loved bloodthirsty tributes. As Siobhan blew another kiss to the crowd and walked off, Dane shot Aaran a nervous glance. Raymond seriously needed to be careful.

"And up now we have one of the most promising tributes of this year! Please welcome Lawson Dean!"

Lawson entered wearing a red tuxedo and black pants, with a black shirt. His hair had been neatly done with a side parting. With his six foot tall build, he looked ready for the games. "Well, well, who do we have here? The son of District two's Mayor? We have a lot of expectation riding on you, boy." Caesar patted his shoulder. The Law laughed. "Well, Caesar, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed! The audience needs someone who'll give them what they expect, right?" he smirked.

"Of course, of course! There's our bad boy from Two. So, I take it you're trained and ready for the Games?" Caesar asked.

"Well, I was on top of my training every year, and I can handle just about every weapon well. I'm the leader of the careers, and probably the most trained tribute here. So yeah, I'd say I'm ready." The Law said. Caesar laughed his strange laugh and stood up with The Law. "So, anything else you want to tell our audience?"

The Law smiled a confident smile. "Well, all you can remember is the aname Lawson Dean. And no one breaks The Law."

Dane knew right away this guy was a threat. He was confident and deadly. In comparison to him, Gigabyte looked kind of scrawny. However, she made up for it with enthusiasm. Her flaming red hair was let down, and looked like actual fire in the light. Her red dress only brought that out more.

"So, Gigabyte, what are your thoughts on these Games?" Caesar asked. Gigi shrugged. "Well, Caesar, I honestly couldn't care less. All I know is that I have to win."

Caesar smiled. "Well, that's a confident girl we have here. Are you ready for this?" Gigabyte laughed. "Yeah, Caesar. I am. I may not be the absolute best with weapons, but I have the brains to pull through. And besides, it's not really winning that I care most about."

Caesar looked slightly shocked. "Oh? Then what do you care about, Gigi?" he asked the question on Dane's lips. Was this girl crazy? She didn't care about returning home alive? Gigi only smirked. "All I care about is being remembered. Panem should remember my name. They should remember Gigabyte Clearwater for who I am. And trust me, I will make my damndest sure that happens."

Dane pegged her as a threat too. If this girl was willing to go far as she said for being remembered, she was definitely a threat. Up next was Isaac Data. The twelve year old walked onto the stage smirking. He wore a black shirt with blue denims, with his hair left fairly natural. He took a seat next to Caesar.

"Isaac, you are one of our youngest tributes here. What do you feel about that?" Caesar asked. Isaac shrugged. "Age doesn't really determine anything. An eighteen year old can be taken out at the bloodbath, and a twelve year old can win. Don't you remember that girl from Two last year? Of course, not that I want to end up like her, but I think you get what I mean." He finished. Caesar nodded. "very well. So, do you have any alliances yet?"

Isaac shook his head. "Nope. No one as of now. I tried allying with my partner, but she can be a bit… off-putting. I'm going it alone." He said. Caesar nodded again, impressed. "Well then, boy, I wish you all the best of luck. Maybe you'll be our youngest victor yet!"

Dane couldn't help but smile. This boy was confident. That may have been enough to get him far. He could hear Dellora let out a high pitched giggle as Anna Austen made her way onto the stage. Anna looked beautiful in a green gown which flared out behind her. her hair was in an intricate bun, and her dark skin contrasted well with her dress. She did a small courtesy to Caesar before sitting.

"Anna, my girl, you look beautiful tonight. That dress is stunning! And so was, must I say, the one at the chariots." Caesar complimented. Anna chuckled shyly. "Well, thank you Caesar. I was a little scared, but my stylist seemed to know what he was doing." She said. Caesar smiled at her. "I can see that. So, Anna, you are the second girl career who was Reaped. What are your thoughts on that?"

"Well, I was very worried about never making it back to my family, but now I see that I have a chance. I have trained, and I'm good with medicine, so I can try this. And I will." She said. Caesar laughed good-naturedly. "I'm sure you will. So, are you ready for the Games?"

Anna blushed. "Well, I can't really say that. I am nervous, alright. But then again, who isn't before the bloodbath. All I can say is I hope all my allies make it through."

Dane smiled again. This girl was way too sweet for her own good. She was different, and reminded him of anything but a career. However, the same could not have been said for Kyle Daniels. The boy was the perfect picture of a career. He wore a grey suit with a black shirt, along with grey pants. The first three buttons of his shirt were left open, and his hair had been left in a messy state. He was going for the charming boy, and he pulled it off fairly well.

"Ahh, Kyle Daniels. We all have been dying to see you. Especially the ladies, am I right?" The crowd erupted at Caesar's words. Dane could hear the girls screaming. He laughed softly. This guy knew what he was doing. "Well, Caesar, I'm flattered. All these ladies are beautiful, but for now, I'm focused on winning these Games. But once I come back, there won't be less occasions on which I meet this amazing audience, eh?"

Caesar laughed at that. "Well of course! For us to have you, you have to win! Are you ready for this?"

Kyle nodded. "Yep. I most definitely am. I'm trained, I'm skilled, and I'm ready to take this down. To add to that, I have the drive." Caesar raised an eyebrow. "What is this drive? Is it a special girl back home?" he smirked. Kyle laughed. "No, no. There's no one like that. It's actually my family. We're not in a very good financial situation, so I want to win and give my family the life they deserve."

The crowd aww-ed and Dane could see the sympathy in their sounds. Kyle had definitely made an impression on the crowd. However, as he walked off and Frankie walked on stage, his heart crept into his throat. Frankie, however, walked on with a big smile. With her black dress and hair left in curls, she looked beautiful and deadly.

"Frankie, ah, our first volunteer from an outer district! Did you have a reason?" Caesar asked. Frankie laughed. "Oh no Caesar, I simply volunteered because I wanted to come into the Games. Of course I had a reason! I knew Diana wouldn't stand a chance. She's way too sweet for this stuff. And she's my friend, so I decided to save her life. Is that so bad?" she looked at the audience. Dane smiled. They'd discussed this, and Frankie had acted it out perfectly. Caesar laughed.

"Wow, Frankie, aren't you fiery! So tell me, do you think you can make it back?" he asked. Frankie shrugged. "There's no saying, Caesar. I'm going to try y best, of course. It's not exactly in my plan to be mutilated." She replied. The crowd erupted in laughter. Dane couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Well well, I think we'll get to see some fine action from you, is that right?"

"Like I said, I can't guarantee anything. But I'm going to try my best not to be a blood spot on the arena floor."

Dane smiled, satisfied. Frankie had gone through the interviews quite well. As she walked off and Raymond walked onto the stage, he found himself hoping the twelve year old would do just as well. Raymond looked striking in his dark suit and dark shirt. His hair had been spiked up, and his eyes looked especially startling. His glasses had been replaced with fancier ones.

"Hello there, Raymond! Don't you look dashing!" Caesar laughed as Raymond took his seat. The boy smiled in a somewhat bored way, as though all he wanted to do was get away from here and fall asleep. "Well, this is a special night, so one's gotta look special. What can I do?" he was quite sharp for a twelve year old.

"Raymond, I think we all heard what Siobhan said here, on the stage. Do you feel threatened?" Caesar asked, serious. Raymond shrugged nonchalantly. "She can threaten me all she wants. In the Games, braggin doesn't get you anywhere. Brains do. I might be twelve, but don't count me out just as yet. I've got some fight in me." The boy said. Dane grinned. Raymond was giving Siobhan a run for her money. He admired the kid's spirit.

"Well, Raymond, all we can do is wish you luck. Thank you for joining us tonight!" Caesar applauded and Raymond walked off after a quick "My Pleasure."

The little girl from Six was next. Lisette. Dane really liked her. She reminded him of Willow, which made his heart warm up from inside. She was dressed in a frilly gown with her hair let down in soft curls. A small tiara sat atop her head.

"Lisette, my little princess, you look lovely tonight! And that chariot dress, my gosh!"Caesar said in a friendly voice. Lisette blushed. "Thanks Caesar. I loved both of them myself." She said. "Lisette, when you were Reaped, this being just the year after your sister's, what were you thinking?" Caesar asked. Lisette's face fell. "Well, I miss y sister more than ever. I wanted her to come back, but unfortunately she didn't. All I was thinking was that with my family's wishes, I shouldn't follow in her footsteps. I want to make it back to them in a piece."

"Brave words for such a little soul. I think you've inspired all of us here tonight." Lisette smiled softly. "Well, that's nice of you Caesar. Thank you." She said. Dane knew he wasn't looking forward to her death. This girl reminded him way too much of Willow. He couldn't help but feel sad for her.

Her district partner was a lot more bouncy and enthusiastic. Otto wore a dark brown suit with blue jeans. His curly hair had been left pretty natural. "So, Otto! What are your thoughts on the situation you're in?" Caesar asked. Otto laughed nervously. "Well, I'm a little scared, to be honest. I don't know how I'll fare against those trained people. All I can hope is that Luck's on my side." The boy said.

"Otto, what do you think of the competition?" Was the next question. Otto laughed. I'm gonna say that if I wanna make it back, I have my work cut out for me. I'll have to try my level best, because many people here are skilled." Caesar patted his back. "Atta boy. Respect for his opponents as well as confidence. I like it! And so do we all!" Otto was met with a round of applause.

The spunky girl from Seven was next. Dane was a little surprised by what she wore. She had on green pants and a green shirt, with vines as a belt. Her hair had been left messy, but tucked behind her ear. She looked like an elf with those somewhat pointy ears of hers. A mischievous, tomboyish elf. Usually girls would be seen wearing dresses. In fact, Caesar's first question was precisely that.

"Well, I wore one of those torture devices during the chariot. I think I'm done with dresses. I can't even feel my damn legs when I'm in one. So I told my stylists that if they so much as brought one near me, I'd throw it off the roof. So they put me in this." Nick said, smirking. The crowd erupted in laughter. Dane could tell she was playing the snarky angle very well.

"So, Nick, what are your plans for these games?" Caesar asked. Nick laughed. "Try and not die, I'd suppose?" Caesar joined in with her laughter, and she continued. "At least, that's my plan. Dunno about others. I plan on not becoming a grease spot on the arena floor. And hopefully I'll make it back to my family and friends. Gods know how they fare without me." She said.

"On that topic, what were you thinking when you volunteered for that girl? I'm assuming she was your friend?" Nick nodded. "Yep. That was Krista. And as you could all probably see, she didn't have her one leg. She wouldn't have made it past the damn bloodbath. At least I know I have a better chance than that. Which isn't really saying much, but I'm gonna try my damndest."

As she rose to end the interview, she pumped her fists in the air and let out a whoop. The crowd loved her. In comparison to Nick's outgoing nature, her district partner was a great contrast. Absalom had an intelligent and quiet aura around him. He wore a dark tuxedo with dark pants and a white shirt, with his hair gelled up into intricate spikes.

"Absalom, what are your feelings about the Capitol?" Caesar asked. Absalom shrugged. "Well, I don't really-" The crowd went wild. Absalom stopped abruptly, startled by the reaction. Caesar laughed. "Do that again! That thing you do with the _i_ in your words. You pronounce it differently." The host said. Dane could see Absalom's composure falter. This wasn't his angle at all. He was going for mysterious, not playful.

"Um, I don't exactly know what to feel, but I don't think I've been given enough time to form an opinion as such." He said. Caesar smiled, as the crowd somewhat quieted down. "Right, of course. You think you're ready for these Games?"

"I'm not the one to really decide that, am I? But I can say I wouldn't count myself out as of now. I'm not giving up so easily, and I'm definitely not going down without a fight." The crowd once again went crazy. Dane immediately admired Frankie for her choice of an ally. Absalom was a valuable ally.

He almost wished Eight wouldn't have to come on. The girl was weird and the boy was just downright creepy. As Bellona walked on in her blood red dress, she blew a kiss to the crowd and hugged Caesar. "Ahhh, Bellona. We all simply LOVED your parents in their Games! I know we're going to love you too!" Caesar said. Bellona chuckled. "Well, save your love, Caesar. You'll have pleanty of time to shower it on me when I win this thing." She said. Caesar laughed with her.

"What do you feel about being the daughter of two victors?" he asked. Bellona smiled. "It's an honor. The Hunger Games is one of the best things ever, and knowing that my parents won it is an honor, really. I have a reputation to live up to and I wont let them down!" She exclaimed. Dane could tell she was popular with the people.

Her partner came in in all his creepy glory. His suit was also blood red, which he seemed to like. "Ruben, how are you today?" Caesar asked, inching slightly away. Ruben smiled. "I'm very good. Sure, I haven't seen blood in a while, nor any fascinating deaths, but its all good. I'll see them quickly enough."

Caesar laughed nervously. "So, you think you can win this?" he asked. Ruben shrugged. "I don't care. The Capitol deserves to see artistic deaths, they deserve masterpieces. What that boy fro Five did last year was pretty good, but it wasn't a masterpiece. I'll give you guys what you want to see." Ruben sneered. Caesar looked absolutely relieved as Ruben walked off stage.

Avena Larson was next. She was dressed in a short black dress, with her blonde hair in a messy braid. Avena, my dear, you look gorgeous tonight!" Caesar smiled. Avena smiled back. "Well, you bet I do! I pretty much threatened my team with a pair of surgical scissors, so they worked their damn butts off to give me this. I quite like it." She smirked. Caesar laughed. "Well, there's our little spitfire! I think we all love your spirit! You think it'll help you in the Games?" he asked.

"I hope to every God above that it does. My spirit is going to get me home. And I'm going to get home! I may not be a trained career, but I'm one hell of a fighter and I'm going to put up some serious fight! Back off, unless you want your hands shoved down your throats." She smiled. Caesar laughed good-naturedly. The crowd loved her, and she walked away with a smile on her face.

Hartley was dressed in a dark jacket with black pants and a white shirt. He had a small smile on his face as he sat down next to Caesar. "Well, Hartley, at the Reapings, were you shocked?" He asked. Hartley nodded. "I think anybody would be, Caesar. Being shocked is the natural reaction. But someone told me that I shouldn't give up on myself so easily. I should get off my darn butt and fight, to quote her." he answered. Caeaar smiled.

"So, any plans?" he asked. Hartley shrugged. "Same as everyone else. But even though I'm from an outler district, I'm not afraid to do whatever it takes to get back home, even kill." He said. Caesar smiled. "well, that's the spirit! I'm sure you'll do your best!"

Nova Pines seemed tiny in comparison to Hartley. However, her brown hair in a bun with her blue dress made her noticeable. "Nova! Arent we glad to see our little spirit animal! That was quite the show at the Reapings, wouldn't you think?"

"Caesar, I' thirteen, and way to young to die. I was trying to save my life. Do you really blame me?" she asked,batting her eyelashes in an 'angelic' way. Everyone burst into laughter, including Dane. He liked this girl. "Yes, of course. But I think we've all seen a little bond between you and your district partner. What are your thoughts about him?"

"He's like my elder brother. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. If I don't win, he should. He saved my brother's life at the reapings. I'm not about to forget that very soon." She said. Caesar patted her back before her time ended and she walked off.

Colt came on to screams from the audience. He laughed as he entered and took a bow, then shook Caesar's hand. He looked pretty good in his brown suit and light colored shirt. His hair had been left normal. "Colt, I think we all can see how much the people, especially the females, love you!" Caesar said. Colt laughed. "Well, I can't help feeling flattered Caesar. Everything about this place is cool! So different from home. But of course, I'd rather make it back home, in one piece. I quite miss it."

This brought on a laugh from the audience. "What were you thinking when you saved Nova's brothr at the Reapings?" Caesar asked. Colt shrugged. "Well, I had a chance to save him, and I couldn't just drop it." he said simply. Caesar smiled. "Colt, about your score. A nine! That's gonna draw attention, don't you think?"

"Well, I'm a little scared myself. But I'm gonna try my hardest. I'm not being easy bloodbath fodder if I can help it. And for that, I need your good wishes and my family's blessings." He said. Dane grinned. This guy was sincerely saying this. "Both of which you have my boy." Caesar said.

As he walked off, Dane knew the crowd liked him. April was next, and she looked very pretty in her white dress and brown hair let down. "April, I think we were all touched when you volunteered for your sister. Poor girl, I felt terrible for her." Caesar said, looking truly sympathetic. April smiled sadly. "Well, I couldn't let her walk to her death. Our parent's death s were hard on Amanda. But I'm not letting her lose another family member. I'll make it back, yes I will." She said. Caesar smiled. "I like your confidence!"

"I'm at a disadvantage, being young. But I'm observant, and I know people's weaknesses and I know how to use that to my advantage. Dont think I'm weak because I'm young!" She told the people. Many of them ooh-ed and ahh-ed. Dane liked her confidence and he could, but he hoped her confidence wouldnt turn to overconfidence.

Dwayne was another tribute who was loved by the crowd. He walked onto the stage and waved to the crowd. He could hear people screaming his name. " Ah, my boy Dwayne! I've been looking forward to seeing you! Well, I think we all have!" Caesar smiled. Dwayne smirked. " Aw, damn Caesar. You know just how to flatter us tributes, don't you?"

Caesar laughed. "So, Dwayne, I assume from your Reapings that you're confident!" Dwayne chuckled. "I think we all know what happened to the guy from Eleven who sat here last year. You'll understand why I dont wanna follow in his footsteps." He said. Dane could feels looks shot towards him. He hardened his expression and tried to push down the guilt in his heart. Dwayne bowed playfully and exited.

Evangeline came on next looking adorable in a pale pink gown and blue ribbons in her plaited hair. Caesar laughed and pulled her into a sideways hug. "Aw, Eva, I think we just died from an adorableness overload! You look lovely! And my my, the chariot dress! You were stunning!" Eva giggled at Caesar's words. "Thanks Caesar! I was a little nervous on the rides, I mean I've never faced such a huge audience before, but the crowd was so supportive!" The crowd aww-ed her. She seriously cute. Dane smiled.

"What are your feeloing about this year's Games? Do you think you can make it back?" Caesar asked. Eva looked nervous. "I'm not sure how I'll do against those elder tributes, but I'll try my best to make it back home alive!" She said. Caesar smiled. "You have any allies? A girl as sweet as you definitely would!" He said. Eva chuckled. "Even if I did, I'm not to say it out loud, am I?" The crowd laughed along with her.

As she walked off after a sweet little wave, the last tribute Blake came on. He was dressed in a dark suit with his hair left in its usual bangs across his forehead. He came onstage smiling, and Dane applauded him for his confidence. Being the last person for interviews was scary. He winked at the crowd as he sat down beside Caesar.

"Blake, my boy, that was quite the costume at the chariots!" Caesar appreciated. Blake smiled. "I thank my stylist for that, but it would have been nothing without the support from the audience. You guys are amazing." He smiled at the crowd, who went crazy. This guy knew how to play the crowd. "Why, thank you Blake! You and Eva looked good enough to be appreciated! Speaking of which, how do you like your district partner?"

A small shadow passed over Blake's face, but it passed just as quickly as Dane saw it, so he assumed he'd been imagining it. Blake smiled. "She's extremely sweet. Probably one of the sweetest kids I've met till now. She's almost too innocent, but I'm sure she has some fight in her." He said. Caesar nodded. "Well said. So, Blake, what do you think of the rest of your competition?" Blake made an impressed face. "There are many skilled tributes out there. I'll work my utmost to return to my family. I want them to have the amazing life I've always dreamed for them."

Dane seriously admired this guy's ability to play the crowd. He sat back as Blake left the stage. The interviews were done. Just about every tribute had made an impression in one way or another. Dane sighed. His head hurt from all of this. As he rose to go to his room, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. He pulled his hood down even lower and walked ahead, ignoring the stares.

 **Thaddeus Sheen- Head of Traps and Mutts (Gamemaker):**

The whole atmosphere of the President's room was cold. Thaddeus fought the urge to shiver. It wasn't the the temperature of the room tha made everything so sinister. It was the people standing with him in there. Leor and Heathers were two of the most bloodthirsty and cruel people Thaddeus knew. He wanted to bolt, but knew he had to stay.

"So, Heathers, is it ready?" Leor asked. Heathers smiled widely, his smile twisted and devoid of mirth. Thaddeus looked at him, confused as to what they were talking about. Bruce nodded. "Yes, Mister President. It's ready. We've stored it safe until we have a way."

Leor nodded. "And I presume this _way_ of yours is the reason this boy is here?" He said, pointing towards Thaddeus. Bruce nodded again. "That's right. Thaddeus here is one of the cleverest young men I've met. I'm sure he'll come up with a way."

"With all due respect, sirs, what is it we're talking about?" Thaddeus asked, already at his limit of curiosity. Bruce turned to him. "Ah, yes, Thaddeus. Let me explain."

He leaned forward on his chair, facing Thaddeus. "Are you familiar with the fact that District Thirteen exists?"

Thaddeus felt the temperature drop another ten degrees. He'd had his suspicions, of course, one simply couldnt not have them after staying so long in the Capitol. But now his doubts were confirmed. He managed a stiff nod. "Good." Bruce said, leaning back again. "Of course, they aren't fully back to normal as of now. They only became stabilised about a year ago. However, we signed a treaty with them. If they swore not to launch any nuclear attacks on the Capitol, we would leave them alone."

"However, it has come to our knowledge that Thirteen, though weak, may be gathering momentum for a future rebellion. And it falls on our shoulders to stop that." he added. Thaddeus scrunched his brow in confusion. "Sir, the thoughts of rebellion are far fetched. There's no reason for us to be worried." Bruce waved his words away. "Precaution is always better than cure my boy. Haven't you heard that?"

"Heathers, get to the point. There's no time for dilly-dallying." Leor said, taking a sip of wine from his glass. Bruce laughed. "As you say, Sir." he turned back to Thaddeus. "I, Thaddeus, have come up with the perfect way to stop Thirteen. I call it, the Parasite." he waved his hand and a holographic image of a capsule filled with some liquid came up in front of Thaddeus. He looked around it at Bruce, awaiting more information. He smiled dreamily at the capsule.

"That's a virus, isn't it?" Thaddeus asked, finally seeing the light. His nerves tensed up. He did NOT want to see the effect of a virus made by Bruce on people. To his horror, Bruce nodded. "Yes, it is. I can't show you what it does, of course. But all you need to know is that once affected by this, there will be no body of yours left to bury. It eats up the very being from inside. And I plan on launching an attack on thirteen using this as our weapon."

The truth of the situation slowly dawned upon Thaddeus and he almost fell off his chair. They were planning to engage in a bio-chemical war with thirteen, and they had the perfect weapon. But an atack would have been detected by Thirteen and they could retaliate with full nuclear force. That was where he himself came in. The Master of hiding. The master of stealth.

"You want me to plan a stealth attack on Thirteen."

Bruce laughed, and Leor joined in. "Really Bruce, this boy is clever after all." The president said. Bruce grinned. "Yes, Thaddeus. That's exactly what we want. You should start right away. Plan this as quickly as you can, but don't lose your focus on the Games either. Have that friend of yours help you."

Bruce gave him a get-going motion with his hands, and Thaddeus stood up, shaking. He was required to plan an attack which would kill hundreds of innocent men, women and children. Yet if he didn't, his own family could die. He was about to step out of the room, when Bruce's voice called out again.

"Oh and Thaddeus? If you have any ah... second thoughts, remember please. The Capitol always gets what it wants."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: PLEASE DONT KILL ME FOR THIS EXTREMELY LATE UPDATE! I know it's very late, but school has killed me this past week. Updates may be a teensy bit irregular, but I'm never going to stop updating. I'll remain loyal to this story until it's done.**

 **On another note, what did you think of the interviews? I actually suck so badly at interviews it ain't even funny. But I tried. Hehe. And what did you guys think of Bruce and Leor's plan? That's gonna be an important element in the story, so yep. :)**

 **Now, only the night before and Launch left, which will be the next chapter, and then THE BLOODBATH YASSSS! SO EXCITED!**

 **I know I already did a shout out to him in the previous chapter but this guy is so friggin' cool, I thought why not? Let's do a shout-out to his other story as well. Y'all should seriously go check out Second Chance by Ansley aka CreativeAJL. He's such an awesome author I can't even say, and he makes the tributes come to life. So go check it out. You won't be disappointed.**

 **Tell me what y'all thought of this chapter! Reviews motivate me so much! Y'all are just too epic! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully we'll meet again soon!**

 **Until next time then...**


	25. Night Before the Games and Launch

**Night Before the Games:**

 **Kay Stark- District Ten Mentor:**

If only Kay hadn't been searching for Nova that night. Nova had disappeared right after the interviews, and even after searching every inch of their floor, they found her nowhere. Kay was getting increasingly worried about the little girl. Sure, Nova had spunk, but spunk would get her nowhere if she was found trespassing.

Little did Kay know what a surprise she was in for.

The plush carpeting of the halls of the presidential quarters muffled the sound of Kay's heels. The President stayed here during the training days, and would move back to his palace when the Games began. This was adjacent to the training centre, separated by only a wall. This wasn't the most likely place for Nova to have been, but Kay didn't know of any other place they hadn't already searched.

She didn't want to call out, for that would've drawn attention to both her and Nova. Usually this place would've been crawling with Peacekeepers, but since this was the night of the interviews, more Peacekeepers guarded the Training centre.

The lighting was dim, the hallway illuminated by some fancy yet dull bulbs. Kay looked into every branch of the hallways, but often found herself staring at a grey wall; a dead end. It wasn't until she came to what she assumed was the President's room itself, that she saw the sight of another human.

She was about to call out to her, but she stopped. The girl standing outside the President's room, listening intently to what the people inside were saying. Kay could hear muffled voices from where she stood. The girl looked to be around Nova's height, but Nova's hair wasn't so long, and was much darker. Nova had a wiry build, not delicate like this girl. She almost thought this was Lisette from Six, when the girl turned to face her.

Kay was looking at the scared yet confused face of Regina Anna Pasternack of District One.

For a moment, Kay was rooted to her place. She honestly didn't know how to react in this situation. She could've turned around and ignored the girl. She could've walked away. But one look at the girl's face and Kay knew that wasn't what she was going to do. As softly as she could, Kay treaded over to Regina, who kept her eyes on the elderly woman, petrified. As Kay came up to a stop beside her, she opened her mouth to speak, but Kay clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh..." Kay whispered as softly as she could. The door was slightly ajar, and she could hear two distinct voices come from inside. She would've slunk away with Regina, had the next two words not reached her ear.

"…District Thirteen." She made out Bruce Heathers' voice saying. Regina, who too was listening to the conversation drew in a sharp but soft breath.

 _Good Lord…_ Kay thought. Regina must've gotten lost, and ended up here. From what she could understand, Regina's curiosity had been peaked when she'd heard voices, and she'd stopped to listen. What she heard must have truly terrified her. But Kay couldn't move after hearing Thirteen's name. She had to know what these people were saying.

"Sir, the virus is kept in a vault. The combination to that vault is something only I know. To be absolutely safe, I have kept no digital record of it, for computers can be hacked. I've even disabled all the cameras in this section, so that there is no record of this conversation. I wanted only you to know the combination to that safe besides me." Bruce said. Kay's head was spinning. What virus? What safe? What in the world was going on?

"Right, Bruce. Of course. So, what is the combination? If you haven't kept any records, I sure hope to God the combination is memorable." The President's voice sounded firm. Kay listened closer. Soething told her this was unimaginably important. Bruce cleared his throat.

"It's the day the very first victor was announced, Sir. It's-"

"HEY!" Kay heard a loud voice come from behind her. She felt Regina tense up beside her. Kay could feel her heart hammering in her chest, as she turned to face whoever had yelled. In the hallway stood a white-uniformed Peacekeeper, his gun notched towards Kay and Regina. The voices from the roo had ceased, and Kay could hear footsteps.

She did the only thing that came to her mind. She bent down and in a swift movement, removed her left heel and hurled it at the Peacekeeper. The action unsurprisingly startled the man, and he stumbled backwards. This was their opportunity.

"Run!" Kay yelled, shoving Regina forward. She removed her other heel as well and ran as fast as her aged legs could take her. Her speed wasn't what it used to have been. The ran past the Peacekeeper and into the main hallway. "Run Regina! Get out of here!" Kay ordered. She had no idea why she was protecting this girl, but she knew she had to. Perhaps she reminded Kay of her own daughter. Milanee was very similar to Regina. Without any argument, Regina bounded off towards the door that was the exit, just as the Peacekeeper came around the corner. He was about to load his gun when Kay dashed forward.

The Peacekeeper obviously hadn't expected an 'elderly' woman to have been so fast, so Kay had the element of surprise at her disposal. She knocked the gun out of his hands and landed a hard kick where the sun didn't shine too brightly. The Peacekeeper collapsed on the ground, and Kay took this opportunity to scoop up his gun. Without any hesitation, she planted the end on his chest and pulled the trigger thrice.

Blood splattered across his uniform as the Peacekeeper's corpse fell back. Kay heard footsteps coming towards them, probably Leor and Heathers, and she knew it was time to go. She dropped the gun and bolted for the door. She yanked it open and leapt to the other side, but not before Leor and Heathers appeared around the corner. She could hear them gasp as they recognized her. She shut the door and leaned against the metal surface, shutting her eyes tight.

She needed to find Stark.

 **Siobhan O'Brian(17)- D2 Female:**

I adjusted the hem of my shirt, for it had gotten caught onto the knife I'd nicked from the training centre. Yes, I'd nicked a knife. No, I wasn't planning a murder. The knife was simply a shiny toy, and I liked shiny toys. Plus I was sort of hoping I'd run into the little sweetheart from Five. I'd give him a small taste of what his demise would be like.

I was never this bloodthirsty. But in this case, I couldn't help myself. Dane Evans had killed my brother. Now, I was going to kill his own tribute in front of him, so that he could see how much it hurt to see people you cared about die on a screen as you watched. I would finally get y revenge for Stefan.

I turned the knife in my hands, thinking about tomorrow. Many people would probably die. I knew who I was aiming for. The first person I wanted to get was that boy from Ten. Once he was dead, I'd go for the girl from Three. Raymond would have to wait. I wanted to make his death special, only for Dane. I almost growled in frustration. How dare that Ten boy get more than me in Private sessions!? I was Siobhan O'Brian. I was a career. I didn't know what he'd done, but now he'd have to pay. Seeing the expression on his face as I slit his throat would be priceless.

Without even realizing it, I'd gotten into the lift. To my surprise, the lift was already moving up, even though I hadn't pressed a button. I was way past my floor. Someone from somewhere up must have called the lift. Oh well, looked like I was going to have to wait until I got back to the comfort of my bed. I just wished this person would hurry up; I needed a good night's sleep before the Games.

The lift stopped on the roof, and the doors slowly opened. When I saw who'd called the lift, the thoughts of getting a good night's rest went flying out of my mind.

I was looking right into the eyes of Dane Evans.

I froze completely for a moment, and so did Dane. His eyes were slightly moist, so I couldn't really tell what he'd been doing. He stepped back on seeing me. That snapped me out of my state. I sneered and moved out of the lift, turning our position in such a way that his back was to the wall beside the elevator and I was backing him up to it. I took ran my finger along the edge of my knife.

"Well well well, would ya' look who it is? Dane Bloody Evans, just the person I wanted to meet." My voice came out vicious. I couldn't even look at Dane without Stefan's face flashing in front of my eyes. I wanted to slit his throat here and now, but I couldn't. I was so helpless.

Dane simply looked at me with so much guilt in his eyes, that I almost believed it. Almost. It wasn't so easy to fool me. "Siobhan…. I don't really know what to say… I-"

I cut him off by pushing him up to the wall and pressing the blade of my knife to his throat. I leaned in closer, even though he was at least a good three inches taller than me, and brought my face up close to his. I could see every speck of blue in his blue-gray eyes. The very eyes that had watched my brother die.

"Shut up." I whispered. "You have no idea what its like. Watching a family member get murdered? I broke our television. I cried for weeks. And you think you can win me over with those pathetic guilty looks of yours?" Dane shut his eyes tight, and I could see a tear roll down his cheek. This unsurprisingly startled me. I hadn't expected Dane to cry. The Psycho of District Five, crying?

"Siobhan, I can't pretend to know what it felt like. And I know no apology will be enough. But for all it's worth, if I could go back in time and reverse what I'd done, I'd do it. No one deserved to die. Not Stefan, not Sean. And I'm sorry." Dane's voice broke. I pressed my knife harder to his throat, and I could see a drop of blood forming at the edge. Dane flinched but didn't say anything.

How could he be doing this? Acting all weak and sweet when he'd killed my brother? I wasn't going to fall for it. I was never going to fall for it.

"Oh yeah? Well, since you don't know what it's like, I think I'll change that. Watch, Dane, as I murder your tributes right in front of your eyes. You seem to be pretty fond of them. I wonder what you'll do when their cannons ring. That's when you'll know Dane. That's when you'll know what it feels like." I snarled. Dane still didn't open his eyes; in fact, he only scrunched them tighter together. "Siobhan I'm sorry." He managed in a weak voice. That drove me over the edge. How dare he played the sympathy game!?

"Shut UP! I'm not going to be fooled by that act of yours. I'm getting Raymond if it's the last thing I do, and then, Dane, you'll see what it is like. I'll snatch your tributes away from you in front of your eyes. There's nothing I want more than to stab those eyes of yours out, but I want you to break first. I'll have revenge for Stefan, that I can tell you." My voice was practically a growl. I pressed the knife deeper, and the drop turned to a steady stream. Dane still refused to protest or fight. I knew he could fight me off if he wanted to, and it shocked me to great lengths that he made no such move.

I opened my mouth to yell some more, when a voice somewhere off to my left cut me off.

"HEY!"

 **Frankie-Leigh Volts(17)- D5 Female:**

My hands were on my hips as I glared at the girl from Two digging the knife into Dane's throat. If the knife hadn't been there, I'd have thought something else, but with the blood slowly dripping into Dane's shirt, I knew what the matter was. This girl was crazy. As soon as I yelled out, she tore her gaze away from Dane and looked at me. Dane's face was simply terrible. I could tell from the way his eyes were shut tight and the way his tears trickled down his face that he was in pain. He could have shoved Siobhan off if he wanted to, but he wasn't. Of course. Dane and his way of feeling as though everything was his fault. Well, I want about to let some crazy nut case from Two kill the one possible friend I had in this place.

I walked up to them and yanked Siobhan off of Dane, who finally opened his eyes and gave me a startled look. "Frankie, what-?" I gave him one of my trademark glares. Then the glare turned to Siobhan.

"Get your prissy butt back to your room, Two." I snapped. She grinned. "Oh, would ya lookie here? Our little miss spitfire, who flipped off Bellona and Law. Bellona's out for ya. You really want my name added to the list too?" She threatened. I laughed.

"That crackhead didn't scare me, and neither do you. I don't care what you say. Get the hell back to your floor, because we here don't like dealing with psychos." I shot back at her. Her smile melted into a snarl. "You don't know what Evans has done. He killed-"

"Your brother, yeah, you've said it enough times. We all know that Dane's killed your brother. But I'm sure in these Games, you're gonna kill a few people too. How'd you feel if their brother or sisters came after your life wanting to kill you because of what you did? Yeah, I'm gonna guess not so good. So unless you want me to shove that knife of yours down your throat, I'd suggest getting the bloody hell outta here."

Siobhan glared at me some more, but she must've figured she was getting nowhere. She threw her knife at the wall beside Dane's head, and smiled another twisted smile. She blew a kiss in our direction and disappeared down the stairs. As soon as she was gone, I rounded on Dane.

"Fight back sometimes, would ya?" I yelled. Dane seemed shocked into silence. "You… stood up to… why?" he stammered. I rolled my eyes. "'Cause you're my friend, idiot. I don't want some weirdo from Two threatening my friends. And if you don't stop blaming yourself for every death you caused in there, I swear I'll kill you myself." I snapped.

"Frankie, I… they didn't deserve to die. No one did." Dane said weakly. I huffed in frustration. "Dane if you hadn't killed them you wouldn't be alive today! I don't know whether or not I'll make it out of that damn arena, but I know for sure that in order for me to try to do that, I'll have to kill people. So snap out of it!" I slapped his face. Then, before he could recover, and before I even knew what I was doing, I yanked him into a hug.

Just as soon, I pushed him away. "Don't blame yourself. Got it?" I ordered, as spun on my heels and started walking away. I felt Dane grab my hand from behind. I turned to face hi with eyebrows raised. He looked at me with a sort of helpless tinge in his eyes.

"I've lost too many people Frankie. I don't think I can stand losing another friend."

 **Colt Marshall(17)- D10 Male:**

"One thing! I tell you ONE THING and you don't listen to it! WAS I FREAKING SPEAKING LATIN!?" Stark was losing it. Big time. Nova tilted her head towards me and rolled her eyes. I simply shrugged. I'd never seen out mentor act like this, and now that he was, I had no idea what to do.

"Stark, just calm down. I honestly don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this…" I said, my voice growing softer as Stark fixed me with a glare. "Big deal? Don't attract attention, I said! Don't make yourself a target for the careers, I said. And what do you do? Just the bloody opposite!"

"How do you know they'll aim for him anyways? Many people got good scores. Hell, that creep from Eight got a bloody Eleven! Colt's nine kinda merges into the background." Nova pointed out. I wanted to second that, but Stark's expression made me hesitate. I had no idea what Stark could do when he was angry, and I honestly didn't feel like getting my butt handed to me the night before the Games. So I shut my mouth.

"Yes, Nova, but they're not gonna go after some psycho in the bloodbath! I can see the girl from Eight coming right at you, Colt! And even you, Nova! You've managed to put on a nice little show at the Reapings and get into a fight with an elder tribute. That makes you their target too."

Stark collapsed on the sofa adjacent to ours. He massaged his forehead with his fingers. "You're score isn't high enough to get you sponsors, and charm isn't going to work for you while that Four guy is around, and neither will spunk, because the girl from Nine's about to steal all of that. You've just set big fat targets on your heads.

Nova and I exchanged glances. As much as Stark was acting weirdly, I could tell he was really stressed out about us. And without Kay here, Stark was getting frustrated. He'd gone from yelling at Nova for getting lost to yelling at me for getting a Nine within a matter of minutes. I actually sometimes wondered if this guy had all his marbles intact.

Kay had been missing from a long time. She'd gone off to search for Nova, like Stark and I. We'd found Nova lying unconscious on the floor of the training centre. According to her, she'd gotten lost in the halls, and someone from behind had knocked her out. Wed been fairly suspicious at that point, but Stark was fuming, so we needed to get back to our room. Nova's head was currently bandaged.

"Stark, relax. I'm sure Kay's fine. She might just be-" the sound of the thudding of footsteps cut me off. The three of us turned to look at the door, just as it burst open and Kay ran inside, her hair messed up and her heels missing. Stark leapt up from where he'd sat down. "Kay!"

Kay seemed out of breath. I could tell that whatever had happened was not good. She didn't even bother asking about Nova, as she laid eyes on us. Stark seemed rooted to his spot. "Kay, where've you been?" he exclaimed. Kay's eyes were wide with terror.

"Stark, you have to listen to me! This is very very important. I can't say it here and now, but you have to listen!" Kay cried. Stark looked at Nova and I. I took the hint. "Right. I'll just go to-" my speech was once again cut off as the lights everywhere went out, plunging us into total darkness. I was blinded. I couldn't even see the outline of the structures in front of me. I felt Nova's smaller hand take mine, as I blinked frantically, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

That's when the blood curling scream rang throughout the room.

At first it was a shocked sound. Then it escalated into screams of pure terror. And I recognized the voice. It was Kay. Stark must have too, for he called out to her, but his voice was just about drowned out by Kay's screams. I heard the sound of something crashing, and knew Stark had found the location of the furniture the hard way.

And just as suddenly as they had gone out, the lights came back on. The moment they did, Kay stopped screaming. Her screams were cut off, as though something as clamped her mouth shut. I blinked again, trying to get my vision correct in the blinding white light. I slowly walked forward, Nova in tow. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw what lay in front of me. And I wished immediately that I hadn't.

Kay wasn't even looking human anymore. She lay on the ground in a pool of her own blood, her limbs twisted at odd angles. But that wasn't even the worst part. Kay's face… it was beyond recognition. Her features had been mutilated. Her nose had been smashed, and her bones were obviously shattered. And her eyes… they seemed to have…

Then my eyes travelled down to her throat, and bile rose to my own. Her throat had been sheared apart, and veins hung out. That's why her voice had stopped suddenly. Someone had torn her throat apart, probably yanking out her vocal cords as well. The whole scene was so utterly gruesome and horrifying, that I couldn't get myself to move. However, when I finally did, I can't say I was proud of my actions.

I simply puked. No thought of valiantly standing beside Stark who seemed to be shocked out of his skin. No shielding Nova from the terror, for she was covering her eyes. Nope. I simply puked.

I emptied the entire contents of my stomach, as Nova screamed once she'd taken her hands off her eyes and seen the body. She staggered back onto the sofa and continued screaming. I coughed up the last bits of food and stumbled back myself, not wanting to look at our mentor's corpse.

"Stark…" I managed. Who could have done this? Why would anyone want to kill Kay? I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even in the Games and I'd already seen somebody be mutilated in front of me. I stepped up to where Kay lay. If I hadn't emptied my stomach earlier, I'd surely have puked then as well.

Kay's fists were bloodied, so she must have hurt her attacker. One hand was outstretched, dabbing in blood. As I looked closer, I saw that she was trying to make something with the blood on the floor. I made out three symbols. _D-I_ and after a little space _I._

"D I I? What does that mean? Stark? Stark? Stark, answer me!"Nova demanded. I marveled at the way she wasnt completely going out of her mind. I put an arm around her and she was shivering. Stark looked up at us as Peacekeepers flooded the room. "Move away from the body." The ordered curtlym we backed up. Stark did too, and he fixed us with a stern look. "This isn't for you to be present around. Get back to your rooms. I'll come meet you after a while. No questions." He told us, as I opened my mouth to ask something. Stark's look told me he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

I nodded. I slowly turned, taking Nova with me. We walkes away, Nova still shivering. As I stopped in front of Nova's room, I knelt in front of her. She looked right into my eyes. "Colt, I just..." she sighed. I figured I should let her continue. "If I don't make it out of the bloodbath tomorrow, I just want you to know that you've been the best ally and district partner I could've asked for." She said all of it at once as though letting go of something she'd been holding in. I smiled.

"You'll make it. I know you will. Now try and get some sleep. And don't let the bed bugs bite!" I said. Everett used to say this to me when I was younger. Nova didn't say anything, only pulled me into a tight hug. She pulled back and managed a weak smile. She went inti her room and shut the door. I stood up and sighed. Kay's smashed face flashed in front of my eyes.

I wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight.

 **Anna Austen(17)- D4 Female:**

"Kyle? Kyle, are you there?" I called out as my voice echoed around what seemed to be the empty training centre. I wiped a drop of perspiration of my brow. I was getting increasingly worried and scared. Worried because I couldn't find Kyle, and scared because this place creeped me out big time.

"Kyle, if you're hiding here, lemme tell you. It's not funny!" I whined. No answer greeted me. I ade my way over to the sword fighting station and searched the place. This seemed like the most likely station for Kyle to be at, though I couldn't pretend to know what he wanted to be doing here at this hour.

"Kyle?" I called out for the third time. Suddenly, y ears picked up as I heard footsteps behind me. Elated, I started turning around to see who it was, confident that it was Kyle, when a hand came from no where and slapped me hard, across my face. Before I could recover, My head was yanked back and I felt y mouth being covered by cloth.

My mind was reacting a bit slowly. I hadn't even comprehended the whole situation, when I felt the cloth being tied into a tight knot at the back of my head. Finally coming to my senses, I thrashed against the person who was doing this to me. In the darkness I could see nothing, only make out that the person was a guy, and he was fairlu tall and well-built. The first person who came to mind was Lawson, but that couldn't be. Lawson may have been a lot of things, but he respected my space. He wouldn't be gagging me like this.

Strong hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me against their own body, forcing me to stop my thrashing. Slowly, a hand let go of my waist and reached up to brush my hair away from my ear. I could feel their hot breath trickling the skin of my ear as he whispered two words.

" _Ice princess_."

I froze completely. No. This couldn't be. I knew who this was. Right now, the whole of Panem knew who this was. I broke out a cold sweat as fear gripped my entire body. My breathing became ragged. The boy spun me around roughly so I faced him and yanked me towards him again, making sure I could see his face clearly. See his sneer, and the malice in his eyes. See the cruelty which decorated the gray in what I could barely call human features.

Ruben Van der Valt had never looked more terrifying.

I tried screaming, but I was gagged. I kicked him, but he easily swerved his way out of the path. I thrashed against him as hard as I could, but he overpowered me in brute force. I was trapped, and he seemed to be enjoying the way I struggled. He laughed. "Really, princess, I'd love to remove that gag and hear you scream, but we'll have to save that for the arena. Right now, I'm just gonna give you a taste of what I can do." he said. He pulled me forward by my hair and smashed my head into a wall.

A strangled cry escaped my throat as I could feel the entire room darkening around me. I fought to stay conscious. Never before had I felt so afraid than I did now. Ruben was certifiably insane. And I was at his mercy. He pinned me against the wall and leaned in close. He held up an object beside his head, and my fear only intensified when I saw the knife gleaming in his hands. He couldn't kill me now, could he? Why hadn't any Peacekeeper come to my rescue yet? What was going on?

But these thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind by my terror. I felt the hot tears rolling down my cheeks. I shook my head, begging hi to let me go. He only seemed to enjoy it further.

"I'm going to love this, Ice Princess." He said, as he touched the tip of the knife to just below my ear. I let out another cry as he dug the tip deeper, drawing blood that slowly trickled onto my dress. He traced out my jawline with the tip, keeping it below my face. I felt my tears become steady streams. I was in pain, but I felt numb from fear. I was going to die, right here, right now. Ruben dug the knife deeper and laughed.

But I still had some fight left within me. I steadied my breathing. I knew what to do. I looked Ruben in the eye, and smashed my head onto his. Startled, he stumbled back. I took his surprise as a weapon and pushed him away. I yanked off my gag and made a dash for the door, screaming the name of anyone that came to my mind.

However, I hadn't made it more than four meters when Ruben grabbed me from behind once again and pinned me against the wall.

"Let me GO!" I yelled in his face. He sneered. "I'm afraid I cant do that. I have some unfinished business with you." He dropped his voice low. He brought up his knife again, and dug it into my forehead, tracing out something. I could feel the blood drop into my eyes as I screamed my head off.

I

C

E

P

He touched the tip to my skin once more, but before he could do anything, I felt him being tackled off of me. I collapsed forward right into someone's arms. They pulled me close. The embrace felt like the one my brother Thomas would give me, and I almost called the person that. I looked up to see myself looking at Almiro's concerned gaze. I loked forward, already anticipating what I was going to see.

Kyle had Ruben pinned on the ground, and he sat on top of him, as he landed punch after punch on Ruben's face. Ruben threw Kyle off of him with a mighty yell, But Kyle just came at him again, as he smashed his fist into Ruben's gut.

"Kyle! Enough!"Almiro yelled out. Kyle threw Ruben against the far wall and stormed up to me. He pulled me away from Almiro. He cupped my face in his hands, and the anger in his eyes only grew. He glared at Ruben what I thought was the worst glare I'd seen anyone give someone.

"If this wasn't the training centre, you'd be effing dead." Kyle snarled. Ruben wiped a drop of blood off his chin and sneered. "Oh clam it Four. I just wanted to have some fun." Kyle stepped forward, but Almiro stopped him.

"If you don't wanna be killed right now, I'd suggest you get the hell out of here." he warned. Ruben simply sneered wider. He fixed his gaze on me.

"Four won't always be around to save you. And when that time comes, I suggest you watch your back, Ice Princess. Because I'll be the one to thaw you."

Kyle glared even harder. "You touch her, and I'll make sure you're head is shown in the sky that night." He threatened. Ruben let out a laugh, and shaking his head, walked away from us. I watched him disappear behind the staircase, and I turned to Kyle and Almiro. Almiro looked at me, concered. "We need to get you to a doctor." He stated. I shook my head "Tide's good with this stuff. I'm sure he can help me. Besides, it's not as bad as it looks." I told them. Kyle only snorted.

"Yeah, right. You're bleeding through your neck, Anna, and you have the letter I-C-E-P written on your forehead with blood. I'd say its pretty bad." He told me. He took my hand and wrapped his free hand aroud me. Almiro started walking ahead of us. "Kyle was getting worried about you, so we searched the whole place. We started from the bottom, when we heard you screaming." He explained. Kyle nodded. "It was Almiro, really. He managed to track you from the screams."

Almiro shook his head. "It was both of us." He said. Kyle and I exchanged glances. Almiro was being his usual modest self. He stopped in front of the elevator and turned to us with a smile. The first smile I'd seen on this features, and it was aimed at Kyle and I. "On second thoughts, I'l take the stairs."He said. Kyle went red, and if I wasn't in my current situation, I'm pretty sure I would've blushed too. Almiro walked off just as the elevaor doors opened.

Kyle led me inside, his arm still around me protectively. Once inside he pressed the button to our floor and turned to me. He wiped off the blood from my face. "I'm not letting him hurt you." He said, a tone of finalty in his voice. A small smile appeared on my lips. "Thanks Kai." I managed. He smiled and reverted to our original position.

In this lift, movin upwards with Kai's arm around me, I almost felt safe. But Ruben's words echoed in my ears.

 _You better watch your back Ice Princess._

 _Because I'll be the one to thaw you._

 **Launch:**

 **Dwayne McCane(16)-D11 Male:**

I woke up in a cold sweat. No thrashing, no screaming. I simply woke up. Dread settled down on me. Today was the day. The day of the bloodbath. The day I would go into the Games, and maybe even the day I'd die.

I slowly made my way to the washromm ad splased the cold water in my ace. I seaeched my reflection for any signs of reassurance. I found nothing. For the first time, I was truly scared. I quickly washed up and brushed my hair. As I walked out, an Avox was laying my clothes on my bed for me. I shot her a small smile and she nodded at me before rushing out. My smile faded. She's almost looked sorry for me. Great. Now even she was confirmed that I wasnt going to come back.

I slid into it and headed out, as I met up with Chaff, who pulled me into a hug. He informed me that April had already boarded the hovercraft, and I needed to get there quickly. He looked into my eyes, wishing me luck silently.

The next few things were a blur. Boarding the hovercraft, the Peacekeeper injecting the tracker into my arm. The only one from my alliance who shared the craft with me was Lisette. I caught her looking at the boy from Two, but when she saw me, she flashed me a reassuring smile. I returned it.

Before I knew it, I was sitting in my rolm looking ahead at the uniform on the bed. The tube stood in front of me, seeming strangely intimidating. I heard Tania come in behind me and wrap me in a hug. She was elderly for a stylist, but extremely sweet. I buried my face in her strawberry colored hair.

"You can do this sweetie. I know you can." She said. She pulled away and kissed my forehead. She smiled and led me to the uniform. I quickly put on this year's tribute uniform. It consisted of a dark colored shirt and camo-pants. A jacket was laid out which had quite a few pockets. I smiled. At least sonething was considerate this year.

Tania smiled. "This is one good uniform. I'd say that pretty girl who's always with Thaddeus had some hand in this." I barely heard her over the ringing in my ears. My heart was hammering in my chest. I could feel my hands become clammy. Tania gave me another hug before fastening my bandana to my head.

"Tributes please enter your tubes." Came the voice.

My hands were literally shaking as I made my way over to the tube. I stepped onto the playe as prayer after prayer fled up from my spirit. The glass came down around me and I turned to face Tania, who smiled at me. My eyes were moist. This was happening.

I felt a jolt as the plate started moving up. My hammering heart sped up. This was it. I was going into the Games. I took a deep breath as the tube surfaced.

Rubble. Thats what surrounded me. Broken structures, asbestos everywhere. What was this? Was this our arena?

As my mind took in my surroundings, I realized this wasn't a normal city. There was no glass. This was an ancient city. One that had been destroyed aeons cornucopia stood in the centre of what looked like a temple. The tributes were arranged in their usual circle around it. I waited for the countdown to begin.

It never did.

Instead, Head Gamemaker Bruce Heathers' voice rang out through the arena which seemed to be a destroyed city with patches of forest amidst its rubble.

"Welcome, tributes, to the fifty-seventh Hunger Games!" Heathers exclaimed. I focused on what he was saying, ignoring the frightened look Ott gave me from my right, nor the angry concentration that apread across Nick's face on my left.

"You might be wonderng what caused the absence of the countdown! Well, the answer is, I needed to give you a little... _backstory_ of our beautiful arena."

"Look around you tributes. Rubble. This is the remains of an ancient city, which prospered to great length aeons ago. What destroyed the city? Natural disasters. One of the worst disasters known to mankind, followed by a devastating earthquake."

"However, this city will now hold the Games of the sixtieth anniversary! And we've decided to recreate the disasters for you. May the odds be ever in your favor tributes, because trust me when I say, you'll be needin them on your side."

"What is the name of the city, you ask?" Bruce seemed to have read the question on our minds. I could almost see him smirking through his words. "This city was destroyed by the very disasters we'll recreate for you. Its name..."

As he paused, the atrangest and most terrifying thing happened. All around the arena, in what looked to be a ring, with a radius of a mile, and the cornucopia gleaming at its center, red hot lava shot into the sky, painting it red in its fiery glow. I felt the heat even from a mile away. The lava dropped back to the ground, leaving ashes in the sky, as Heathers spoke again.

"Was Pompeii."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: YES. THAT IS CORRECT. WE ARE INTO THE GAMES. OHMYGOOOOODS I AM SO EXCITED I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M WRITING! YESSSSSS!**

 **Yep. I killed someone before the Games started. Hehe. Kay's incident will be an important part in the Games. And Thaddeus will be an important person in the story, along with Dane, Heathers and many other people. So, yep!**

 **Please tell me what you guys thought of this chapter! I kmow I'm not that amazig an author, so I'd love to hear how I can improve! And he support you guys've given me is so freaking awesome I cant even say! I mean, 292 reviews before the Games!? YOU GUYS ARE DA BEST!**

 **I can't believe I haven't given this person a shout-out yet. If you haven't, go check out Reader Castellan's story, Surviving the Sea: the Sixtieth Games. Reader is one of te best authors I've ever come across and they manage to make the tributes alive. And they're SUCH AN AWESOME PERSON! SO GO CHECK EM OUT!**

 **What did y'all think of the whole Ruben-Anna thing? And also, WHAT DID Y'ALL THINK OF THE ARENA? If it wasn't clear, for which I apologize, the arena is a replica of Pompeii, after it was struck with the volcanic eruption which also caused an earthquake. The arena will be explained further in the future chapters, so will any loose ends in this chapter. Mam, I seriously hope y'all enjoyed! I loved writing this! Tell me wht you thought! Updates will be a bit sporadic, but I'll try my best! :D**

 **Oh and over the next few days I'll be puttingup two very important polls, so keep an eye out on my profile! And be sure to vote! The bloodbath depends a bit on that! Also, I won't be killing too many people in the bloodbath, because I have a lot in mind for them. But there's gonna be some hella action in the bloodbath. At least, that's what I hope. :P But yeah, please vote! :D**

 **Until next time then...**


	26. The Bloodbath

**Lawson Dean(18)- D2 Male:**

Pompeii? I vaguely remembered learning something about that in a class once. However, it wasn't important. What was important as of now was the bloodbath. I readied myself for the battle.

BOOM

As soon as the gong rung, I launched forward, only to be overcome by an obstacle. The cornucopia was surrounded with a huge pile of rubble. Most people were already climbing over it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the boy from Eleven in a fierce fist fight with the Girl from Seven. Gods, he must have been desperate to get a kill. I had my target fixed though. I started clawing harder at the rubble to climb over it. I saw the boy from Seven run over to the Cornucopia. Many people were stuggling to cross the pile by the time I leapt off on the other side. Well, they weren't trained like me. Anna and Almiro were gathering weapons and supplies. The weapons were all arranged in concentric rings around the cornucopia.

Absalom grabbed two of the biggest axes I could see and started running away. Well, that wasn't about to happen very soon. I scooped up the weapon nearest to me, which happened to be a Glaive, and blocked his path. "Long time, Seven." I sneered. He held up his axe. "Bring it on." He challenged.

I leapt forward with my Glaive and slashed at him, but he blocked it with his axe. He kicked me back with full force, which, considering his height, was a lot. I swung again, and he ducked. I was about to attack again, when I heard a scream ring out. Seven was holding up his axe, ready for another attack, his eyes wide, but my eye were searching for someone else. I knew that voice…

There! I spotted her at the corner of the cornucopia. The boy fro Three stood over her holding a sword he could barely lift. Lisette seemed terrified of her situation. Her eyes were wide and she'd backed up to the Cornucopia wall on all fours. Her face begged him to spare her.

My mind froze. I had a chance to take out one of the biggest competitors. However, my mind flashed back to Lisette wrapping my hand with the bandage. I groaned. Why oh why did this happen to me?

I glared at Absalom. "Another day, Seven." I said as I bounded away and towards Lisette. I raised my sword and just as the boy from Three was about to run his own sword through Lisette, I stabbed mine through his back. He let out a strangled grunt as the weapon pierced his heart.

 _Boom_

The first Bloodbath.

I threw his body to the side. Lisette looked up at me with fear-filled eyes. She'd assumed I was about to kill her. Of course, that's what any sensible career would've done. And that's what I would've done too, but I hesitated. I couldn't bring myself to kill her. I glared at her and picked up a back from near my feet and a small knife. I threw them into her hands as other scrambled all around the Cornucopia for weapons. I could see many tributes running away from the back. Cowards.

I shoved the materials into Lisette's hands and picked her up. I pushed her away to get her going, and she flashed me a quick grateful glance before bounding away.

I could almost relax, but just then, the very ground started rumbling under my feet.

 **Bellona Irving(18)-D8 Female:**

As the ground started shaking, I picked up a sword. I'd been trying to climb the rubble till now, because it wasn't all that easy with my small height. I looked to see whom I could kill, and spotted my victims only feet away. I ran up to where the girls from Five and Eleven were sparring with axes. The girls were both fierce, and the Eleven girl had her back turned to me. I bounded up to them.

I raised my sword up high and slashed down at the Eleven girl's neck.

 _Boom_

The cannon sounded almost immediately. The earthquake was making it very difficult for people to climb the pile of rubble. I had no idea how Five and Eleven had made it to the cornucopia. Maybe they'd found a break in the pile.

I cursed the Gamemakers for this. The ground was shaking more vigorously by the instant. I fought to stay on my feet. I swung at Five with my sword, but I was tipped off balance. I could see many people struggling to get to their feet. The rubble from the pile kept rolling in different direstions, making it almost impossible to climb.

"Open your eyes idiot! We've gotta get out!" Frankie yelled. I sneered, despite being thrown off balance by the earthquake. "I don't plan on that." I yelled over the sound of the rumble. As Frankie shakily got to her feet, her expression twisted into one I didn't understand.

Triumph.

"Oh I wasn't talking to you."

My smile faded as pain exploded in my lower back. I looked down to see the tip of an axe sprouting from my stomach. The weapon was roughly drawn out, earning a gasp from me. This wasn't possible. I couldn't be taken out this early! I was the daughter of two Victors! I was to _be_ a Victor!

I could see blackness flooding the corners of my vision. However, I wasn't about to die without knowing my killer. As I twisted my body around, my last sight was that of Absalom holding a bloodied axe.

 _Boom_.

 **Siobhan O'Brian(17)- D2 Female:**

I almost fell again as I saw Seven take out Bellona. What in the name of all things holy!? Bellona got killed by an outlier in the frickin' Bloodbath!? Goodness, I had NOT expected that.

"Good LORD!" I yelled as I tried to steady my bow, amidst the earthquake. This was really pissing me off. Firstly the weapons were arranged around the cornucopia in such a way that people could pick up supplies from the back and run away. I'd seen many do that. Bloody cowards. And then this damned earthquake. How was I supposed to shoot my bow if I couldn't even see anything? The whole damn world was shaking.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone scrambling away with a small backpack. I sneered. Well, hello there, Raymond. I notched another bow, the last one having gone astray. I knew this was my chance. I didn't want to kill him, of course. But that didn't mean I couldn't say hello.

I took a deep breath, and let the arrow fly.

Yes!

It hit him in the leg. I'd been aiming for the thigh, but it hit him in his calf. However, that was good enough. He fell, but got up again. He was clearly in pain. He somehow managed to make it to the lining of the forest, and scramble in. I grinned. Time to move onto some other targets.

However, the Gamemakers clearly weren't done with us.

An ear-splitting rumble sounded, over even the noise of the earthquake, as ht very ground started developing a gigantic crack, at our feet. The crack elongated right underneath my feet. Not knowing what to do, I jumped to one side, which happened to be the side away from the Cornucopia. I swore under my breath and was about to jump back, when I spottd someone else running away from the Cornucopia. Well, I wasn't about to give that up.

I bounded forward, sheathing my knife, as I threw myself at the boy from Ten. His backpack skittered away. I pinned him to the ground and turned him to face me. Fear was evident in his brown eyes. I smirked. Somehow, the earthquake seemed to have somewhat ceased. However, nothing mattered but my victim and I.

"Where do you think you're going, Gorgeous?" I snarled. I ran the knife under his chin. "Get off me!" He yelled, trying to shove me off. I simply dug my knife into his cheek. Not enough to kill him, but enough to draw blood. "This'll teach you not to challenge careers with scores." I told him. I raised my knife and stabbed downward.

His knife came from nowhere and blocked mine. His eyes hardened. "Not today Two. I'm not getting taken out so easily." He shoved me off with newfound force. I smirked. "Ooooh, we have ourselves a fighter, yes?" I slashed at him with the knife. He threw a small knife at me, but I ducked it. He fumbled for another, but he wasn't a skilled fighter. He was a farm boy. I readied my knife again to throw it right in his pretty face.

Suddenly tendrils of pain shot through me and I fell, my world going black.

 **Colt Marshal(17)-D10 Male:**

As Siobhan's eyes rolled back in her head, I pushed her off me and looked behind her to see the girl from Seven holding the handle of her axe out. She'd hit Siobhan with it. She'd saved me.

"Move your butt!" She ordered. In a daze, I did so. She picked up Siobhan's arms and glared at me. "You just gonna stand there or are you gonna help me?" She yelled.

That's when I got a look at the arena. Mere feet away from me, a jagged crack in the ground was expanding by the moment. It was around three feet wide, and I could see an orange glow emanating from it. Tributes all around me were slipping. I saw the boy from Twelve hurriedly pull up his district partner. I saw the boy from Eleven struggle to keep the boy from Nine from falling in. My eyes went to the careers, and I saw Kyle engaged in a fight with Otto. Otto was clearly losing. As the younger boy's weapon skidded away from him, Kyle kicked him in the chest and sent him tumbling into the crack.

 _Boom._

However, when Almiro's leg slipped, Kyle ran over immediately to support him. It was rough, but I could see they were going to make it. It was strange. It was as if this trick of the Gamemakers had somehow united the tributes. People were saving lives instead of taking them.

"Panem to Colt, Panem to Colt, report for duty!" Nick was yelling. "Help me with her!" She ordered. My eyes searched for Nova, but I couldn't find her. Not seeing another choice, I zoned bck to Nick.

"What?" I asked, in a daze. She rolled her eyes. "Take her legs!" She pointed to Siobhan's legs. I looked at her. "You wanna throw her over?" I asked, astonished. I couldn't kill someone like that! No way was I going to do that. Nick groaned.

"Yeah, if I wanted to do that, I would have simply pushed her in. No, doof, I wanna throw her to the other side! Now friggin' help me!" She ordered. Maybe it was the fact that she'd just saved my life. Maybe it was the fact that I could no longer see any trace of my ally. Or maybe it was the simple fact that I had no idea what to do. But I wrapped my hands around Siobhan's ankles.

As people ran away from the crack in every direction, Nick and I walked towards it. Siobhan was, thankfully, fairly light. As I neared the edge, I looked in. My heart rose to my throat. Inside, hot red magma boiled viscously. I couldn't see Nova anywhere. She couldn't have... No. I refused to believe that.

"Get ready!" Nick ordered me. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. On the other side, Law spotted us and though bewildered, poised himself to catch Siobhan.

With a mighty heave the two of us tossed her to the other side.

She hit the edge, but Lawson grabbed onto her. For a second I thought she'd pull them both over, but he managed to get them to safety.

"NOVA!" I yelled, my mind averted. "NOVA!"

"Stand back!" Nick pulled me back just as my foot neared the drop. I stumbled back, but my mind was splitting from worry. "She's not dead. I saw her run off in the other direction after the crack appeared" Nick said. She pointed to the other side. Nova... my heart sank.

"Come on. We've gotta get away from here." She declared. She shot Lawson a salute with two fingers. He still looked pretty bewildered. I realized I had no choice but to follow Nick. I picked up my knives and backpack and started walking with her.

"Why'd you save her? " I asked the question that had been bothering me as we entered the forest lining. Nick shrugged and smirked mischievously.

"Well, that Capitol can't always get what they want."

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: OMG WE ARE IN THE GAMES! THE BLOODBATH IS HEAAAAA! SOOOOO EXCITEEEEED! YAZZZZZZ!**

 **I put up the polls, and was quite surprised by the results. However, I havent killed many people, because I have stuff planned for them. I know this chapter was a bit hectic, but it was my first attempt, so please tell me what yoi thought!**

 **THREE HUNDRED REVIEWS OMG I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Shout-out to xQueen-of-Applesx for bein my 300th reviewer. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IS SO AMAZING! :D**

 **Oh and if anyone here is also reading Reader Castellan's SYOT (which you totally should because its freaking awesome) and finds similarites... I can assure you we've discussed it. This was an insane coincidence. So... yeah! :D**

 **Eulogies:**

 **24th: Isaac Data: Isaac was a really chill kid. He was fun to write about, and was different from the usual shy and sweet kids from Three. I liked his character. However, he was submitted a bloodbath, so he had to go. RIP**

 **23rd: April Smith: Reader, thank you so much for offering April as a bloodbath. I know it mustn't have been easy. I liked April a lot. She was unique and creative, and had a very interesting backstory. She will be missed.**

 **22nd: Bellona Irving: minhosgirl, I'm so sorry. I had many things planned for her and she was honesty gonna go far. But she had undisputedly the most amount of votes in the bloodbath poll. It was hard for me, because she was a very interesting antagonist. But she had to go. Hope you forgive me. RIP Bellona.**

 **21st: Otto Frieght: He was a really sweet guy. In fact, he was too sweet for the Games. He was one submitted bloodbath whom people liked. He was a lot of fun to write about, but he was always a bloodbath, because that was how he was submitted. RIP Otto.**

 **Here's the kill list!**

 **Almiro**

 **Regina**

 **Siobhan**

 **Lawson**

Isaac-24th- killed by Lawson

 **Gigabyte**

 **Kyle**

 **Anna**

 **Raymond**

 **Frankie-Leigh**

Otto-21st- killed by Kyle

 **Lisette**

 **Absalom**

 **Dominique**

 **Ruben**

Bellona-22nd- killed by Absalom

 **Hartley**

 **Avena**

 **Colt**

 **Nova**

 **Dwayne**

April-23rd- killed by Bellona

 **Blake**

 **Eva**

 **I'll put up the alliance list next time! Please review guys, it makes me so happy! Stay awesome! :D**

 **Until next time...**


	27. Day One

**Day One:**

 **Regina Anna Pasternack(18)-D1 Female:**

My breathing felt ragged. I'd never strained myself this much. The first thing I'd done when the gong rang was run to the Cornucopia. My small stature and delicate structure enabled me to quickly cross the pile of rubble, and I'd succeeded in grabbing a small bag and two knives. I counted myself lucky, because my placement had allowed me to run away from the back.

I fell to my knees and put a hand on my chest, trying desperately to calm my breathing. My heart beat as quickly as possible under my fingers. I'd never felt an emotion so powerful. Terror. It gripped me from all angles. Yes, I had made it out of the bloodbath, but the run from there till here was a terror-driven dash. I'd heard three cannons go off by the time I'd come here, and just a few seconds ago, the fourth one went off. Four people dead.

I'd always considered the Hunger Games to be some kind of regular Game. Where there was a winner and everybody went home. But gradually, as I grew up, I was introduced to the harsh truth. I'd kept my distance as great as possible from these horrible Games, but now, I was in the thing. And it terrified me. Maybe I was a coward, by normal terms, but at least I'd admitted it to myself. I was terrified. Of the Games, of the arena, of the very thought of Death.

Footsteps caused me to snap my head up. They were heavy, like the ones of a tall boy. My mind found itself on overdrive. There were namely a few boys in the Games like that. Three were the careers, who I was fairly sure would stay at the Cornucopia. The fourth was the boy from Seven, who I'd seen with the girl from Five. Yet this person was alone. That left the fifth option, which terrified me more than any of the previous ones. I'd seen the boy from Eight at the interview. He was a sadistic bloodthirsty monster.

"Get up here!" A voice hissed from somewhere above me. I looked up but found nothing but trees. It sounded like a young girl. "Up here! Tree to your left! Climb!" the girl ordered. I spotted the said tree and not seeing any other choice to escape the beast from Eight, I started climbing. I could hear his heavy tread come closer, and just managed to slip into the foliage of leaves as he passed by. He slowed his walking for a minute, but didn't stop. He'd gotten hold of a huge war-hammer and nothing else. I wondered for a moment how he would survive, before realizing I didn't really care.

My mind flashed back to the last time I'd hidden with someone like this. Kay… she'd always seemed like a nice lady to me… I hoped she was fine. I shivered as I remembered what the people inside were saying. Something about a virus. And something about breaking the districts. I hadn't heard much, but whatever I had was enough to terrify me.

"Oooookay, psycho's gone, so can we get down now?" the girl said from somewhere above me. I'd heard her voice somewhere else, but didn't really know what to make of it. She'd just helped me and saved my life. I leapt down from the branch.

Unfortunately, I'd misjudged my landing. I heard a crunching sound as my ankle hit the ground and twisted at an odd angle. I let out a sharp cry of pain as I collapsed to the ground. Pain spiraled outwards from my ankle, and forced black spots into my line of vision. I hadn't broken it, I was fairly sure of that. It was merely sprained. I heard someone else drop to the ground beside me and looked to see the girl from Ten.

"Geez, you Ones don't know a thing about survival, do you?" She mocked, raising an eyebrow teasingly. I looked at her with pained eyes. She rolled her brown ones and walked up to me. She gently leaned me against a tree and sat down in front of me.

"You're not going to be getting on very well with that, are you? You'll need medicine and sponsors and my friend, you are NOT in a good position with those." She told me the plain simple truth. I nodded miserably. "I know." I stated. She groaned.

"Dang it. I cant just leave you to die on your own." She glared at me as though this was somehow my fault. I slowly understood her meaning. "I don't need anyone's help! I can manage on my own!" I protested. She snorted. "Yeah, sure. You'll make it a whole of five centimeters before collapsing again. I don't have many supplies, but I had survival sense. My ally was separated from me during the effin' earthquake. I'm trying to find a way to him, but I can't without any supplies. You, on the other hand, know about as much of survival as I do about koalas. Which, to say, is nothing. So, if so pleases the Princess" she said, using the Capitol's nickname for me, "Allies?" she held out a hand.

I hesitated. I'd wanted to do this independently. However, now that I thought about it, our contributions would be equal in the alliance. I could still do things independently. Having an ally meant having somebody watch my back, not having somebody baby me. I gingerly held out my hand and shook hers.

"Call me Ginny."

"Nova. Now, let's see how we can get you to move, shall we?"

 **Lisette Osborn(12)-D6 Female:**

"Dwayne, please, just stop!" I begged for the millionth time. I knew he couldn't see it just yet, but my partner was extremely shaken up. We'd seen two of our allies die in front of us. My ind simply wouldn't get rid of the image of Kyle kicking Otto into the crack. And the way April's cannon had rung out… I was crying without even realizing.

And then there had been the boy who'd almost killed me. Isaac. His sword had just about reached my stomach when another pierced his own body. I'd been sure Lawson was going to ring my cannon next, but he didn't. He'd helped me. I wondered if this was a result of me helping him with his hand. Either way, the big bad boy from Two had a soft spot in his heart. But even then, I couldn't get rid of the image of Isaac's face when the sword killed him. His blood was still on my shirt. And now Dwayne was giving me a hard time.

"DWAYNE JUST STOP!" I yelled, unable to take it anymore. "Just please stop!" I sat down hard on the ground, letting the tears come. I heard Dwayne drop to his knees beside me. "Look, I know you're shaken up, but I am too, and I need some support here, and you're not giving it!" I cried. Dwayne's eyes were scary as he turned his gaze to me.

"We lost half of our alliance Lisette. Do you even know the guilt I feel right now? If I hadn't gone after Nick, I could've saved April. If I hadn't run like a coward when the ground split, I could've saved Otto. They're dead, and IT'S MY FAULT!" He yelled, not caring whether or not he drew attention to us. I made my way over to him.

"Look, it isn't your fault. April let her anger control her and she went after the Five girl. Otto…" my voice broke. I remembered the moments I'd spent with Otto. He wasn't much, but he'd reminded me of home. Now he was gone. "Otto didn't deserve it, but you couldn't have fought off the boy from Four, he's huge! Dwayne, their deaths were not your fault!" I told him, pressing his shoulder. He shook his head. Only then did I realize he was shaking under my hand. Dwayne was more affected by the bloodbath than he was letting on.

"I was the oldest one in this alliance. I'd told April I'd help her. And I let her die in the bloodbath. And I didn't even kill Nick. Do you even know how useless I feel right now?" Dwayne groaned, running a hand through his brown hair.

Suddenly, from nowhere, a knife came flying at us. It embedded itself in Dwayne's knee, and he howled in pain. I screamed and reeled back. I looked in the direction from which the knife seemed to have come, and found myself looking at the girl from three. A devious smile had spread across her face. Her red hair seemed to be on fire. She held three knives in her hand.

"Aww, is poor Dwayney here lamenting the loss of his allies?" She snarled. Something was wrong with this girl. It seemed as though Dwayne and I weren't the only ones affected by the deaths in the bloodbath.

"Gigabyte, we don't want a fight…" I said slowly. She glared at me. "I don't give an eff." She stated. She held up her knife again, but she'd underestimated Dwayne's rate of recovery. He grabbed one of my own knives, and sent it hurling in Gigabyte's direction. Her eyes grew wide as the weapon flew towards her. She managed to swerve so it didn't hit her heart, where Dwayne had been aiming, but it embedded itself in her shoulder. She screamed in pain, the sound getting louder as she yanked the weapon out. She threw it at our feet before shooting off in another direction. Dwayne tried to get up to chase her, but his leg had been wounded pretty badly.

"Stay down. You're not moving a step until that gets better." I told him. He, thankfully, obeyed.

 **Nick Noelle(16)-D7 Female**

I could hear Colt's worried breathing behind me as we trudged through the forest. My legs felt as though they were melting through my shoes. These patches of forests were just about our only source of food and water, the rest of the arena being ruined structures. I'd remembered something about Pompeii being destroyed by a volcano, but nothing else came to mind.

Up ahead, I spotted what seemed to be the remains of a house, with something of a garden in front. The garden seemed like that of a caveman, but it would have to do for now. I walked over to it and threw down the bag I'd grabbed. I set down my two axes and slumped against a huge boulder, as Colt unloaded his supplies. He glanced at me warily.

"What was that about?" he asked. I looked at him. "That, my friend, was the effin' bloodbath. Which, thanks to yours truly here, you managed to escape without being turned into a Colt-kebab." I answered. He looked at me again. "That's not what I meant Nick. I meant, why did you save me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, because I thought we could sit and have a nice little chat, maybe with some fish and crisps!" I replied, cheerfully. Colt couldn't hide the smile that tugged at his lips, but tried and fialed miserably. "I'm serious Nick. Why'd you save me?"

I groaned. "Honestly, I thought you were one of the clever ones. Alright, I'll say it slowly. I'm in the Hunger Games. I thought, being alone would have me getting my butt kicked every two seconds. At least with an ally, I'm not gonna die the first freaking day."

"But, I already have-" I cut him off. "Yeah, I know. Your district partner. Don't worry, I'm not stupid. But I can see clearly she isn't with you. So here's what I propose. How about a temporary alliance? You and I together find your district partner, and then I'll go my own way, and y'all can sit and have a nice little happy reunion. How's that sound to you, Colt?" I suggested. I took my axe and begun honing the edge on the rock. He looked at it warily. I smirked.

"If you're wondering, I don't plan on gutting you. I haven't actually used my weapon on a human before, so I don't want to go into the nasties as of now. So, the answer?" I prodded. Colt sighed. "It seems legit. I still can't believe you saved Siobhan just because you wanted… never mind. But yes, until we find Nova, we're allies. After that, we're done." He told me. I nodded and gave him my signature two-finger salute. "Oh and Nick? Thanks for saving my butt." Colt said. I nodded and smirked. "That's what frie-" I caught myself. "Allies. That's what allies do." I told him. The sun seemed to just be setting, as Colt leaned against the tree-trunk.

"Yeah, catch up on the snoozes bro. I'll just sit here honing my axe lookin' like a psycho." I told him. He simply flashed me a smile as his eyes slowly drooped. He reminded me so much of my brother Flint, it was crazy. I went back to looking like a psycho as I sharpened my axe. The rays of the sun disappeared under the horizon as the Panem anthem began to play.

 **Blake Coleman(17)-D12 Male:**

Eva clung to Avena as we made our way into the run-down house. I kicked down the door, and turned back to smirk at the girls. Avena scowled at me. "The door was half-broken genius. Eva here could poke it and it would break." She said, pushing past me.

The house was nothing but shambles. The roof was gone, and the walls were broken. Eva leaned against what looked to be the remains of a chair, as Avena unloaded out supplies. We were the first complete alliance out of the bloodbath. Luck had been on our side. We'd all been placed near each other. As we'd run out, Eva'd slipped into the crack in the ground, but after a moment of panic, I'd pulled her out.

"Hey, you guys get some sleep, I'll take first watch." I offered, figuring that was the correct thing to do since I was the eldest person and only guy in here. Avena snorted. "Right. That'll happen."

" Avena, what is up with you?" I complained, sick of her attitude towards me. She stopped and smashed a bottle down on the ground. "I never wanted you in this alliance. You're just here because Eva thinks you're nice. I would rather cut off my own arm than let you keep watch." She said.

"Okay, enough with the threats, alright? I'm a part of this alliance, whether you like it or not. So stop with-" She cut me off by walking straight up to me and holding a knife to my chest. "Shut up. I'm an experienced fighter, and I could gut you right now. Shut the hell up." She snarled. I wasn't about to give in.

I slammed down her hand and snatched the knife from her. I turned her around and pressed the blade of the knife to her throat. "You forget. I'm freaking experienced with a knife, and usually with people a hell lot stronger than you and not quite as sane." I retorted. She huffed. She rammed her elbow into my chest, forcing me to drop the knife. She backed me up to a wall and pinned me against it, with my face digging into the dusty surface.

"Oh I can show you _exactly_ how strong I am." She threatened. I smirked. I dipped down and caught her arm, twisting it behind her back and holding her in place by wrapping my other arm around her waist. "Sometimes agility is a tad better than brute strength." I whispered in her ear.

"Stop it!" Eva protested. "This is an alliance, not a stupid street fight! We're allies, and you need to accept that Avena! And Blake, you better not be doing anything smart here, because I trust you. Now honestly, with the way you two're acting, I'd make a better leader!" she cried. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. I pushed Avena away.

"I'm taking first watch. Avena, trust me. I'm not a psycho. I won't try to kill you in your sleep or anything. Just trust me. Go to sleep." I reassured her. Sure, I'd manipulated my way into this alliance, but I wasn't about to murder them right now. I wasn't a beast. I simply wanted to live.

Avena glared at me. "Fine. But one inkling of some funny business, and your damn head will be on the floor." She threatened. I sighed, but let them curl up on broken down chairs all the same.

I sat down with the knife I'd managed to get off Avena as a smile found its way to my lips. I'd survived the first day. I was one step closer to going home.

 **Rayne Hale(24)- Assistant Gamemaker to Thaddeus Sheen:**

"Thaddeus, what was that!?" Heathers yelled as the two of them stood in front of him. Thaddeus looked alarmed. "What was what, sir?" he asked, perplexed. Bruce glared at him. "Only four people died in the bloodbath Thaddeus! Usually more do! And what of your genius trap? It seemed to me as though the tributes were saving each other instead of killing!" Bruce was losing it. Leor sat in a nearby chair, glaring so hard at the table, Rayne could swear it was about to melt.

"Sir, we'd told you the risks. I'd warned you this might've happened. You said it didn't matter." Thaddeus said in a calm voice. Bruce looked like he wanted to say something, but he simply sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't care. Make sure your other traps take out a few tributes." He ordered. Thaddeus gave Rayne a sidelong glance. She could sense something wrong.

"Sir, is something the matter? You seem, worried." Thaddeus asked, seeming sincerely worried. Bruce sighed.

"You're right Thaddeus. There is something wrong. It's the Parasite."

Thaddeus paled. Rayne could feel her heartbeat quicken. "Sir, please tell me it hasn't somehow been unleashed." Thaddeus said in a small voice. Bruce shook his head. "No no, that's not the problem. You see, the safe in which the Parasite is kept, the combnation to it, only I and Leor were supposed to know."

"I hadn't kept any digital or handwritten records of it, just for that sake. The day I was supposed to tell Leor, I'd also disabled the cameras and audio devices in this place, and dismissed all the Peacekeepers, to prevent anyone else from knowing. But someone heard us that day."

Thaddeus paled further as he realized who. "Oh my god… you killed Kay Deers…" he accused. Bruce nodded, seeming nonchalant. "She had to die. But that's not the problem. The problem is that we think someone else may have been with her. And that's where we can use your help." Leor answered for Heathers. Rayne looked at him.

"Rayne, Thaddeus, talk to all the mentors. Ask them if they know anything. Gather as much information as you can. If anyone else gets to know of the combination, it could result in a catastrophe. You two find the person and we'll have them taken care off." Thaddeus narrowed his eyes. "You mean you'll kill them."

Leor glared at the two. "Yes, we probably will. I hope you two aren't planning on... protesting? Kay's death was rather harsh. No one else should experience that, yes?" He said with a dangerous tone to his voice. He was basically telling them that if they disobeyed, they'd end up like Kay.

Thaddeus looked at Rayne. She sighed. They couldn't out rightly refuse them. Thaddeus didn't say anything, but Rayne nodded. "We'll do our best, Sirs." She reassured them. Bruce gave her a smile which held absolutely no mirth. The smile chilled her to her bones. "I sure hope you will, you two. I'm expecting a lot. Don't let me down."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: YAS! First day! I know it was kinda short, and no one died, but I mean, people dont really go on killing sprees right after the bloodbath right? I fugured I should write a bit about them settling in... I promise more action in the next one though ;-)**

 **Oh and what did you think of the fights? And specific fight y'all wanna see? Tell me what you think! I seriously cannot tell you how awesome your reviews are! Y'all are simply the BEST! :D**

 **Oh and if you haven't go check out Caleb aka IVolunteerAsAuthor's story All Stars: the 300th Games, because he is one freaking amazing author and the idea ia epic and he writes amazing. So yeah.**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter! Tell me what you thought! I love hearing from y'all so much because y'allz iz epic. :D**

 **Almiro  
Siobhan**  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Nova**  
 **Regina Anna**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson

 **Gigabyte**

 **Hartley**

 **Ruben**

 **Until Next time then...**


	28. Day Two: Part One

**Day Two:**

 **Part One:**

 **Kyle Daniels(18)-D4 Male:**

"Geez, two cannons, and none are by us. This sucks big time." Siobhan complained. Lawson rolled his eyes. "Siobhan, if you don't shut up right now, I'll bonk you on the head. Harder this time." He threatened. I scoffed. "I wouldn't advise that. She's already crazy, we don't need to instigate that further." I told them. Lawson laughed, while Siobhan looked mockingly offended. Lawson looked at my surprised expression. "Yes, I _can_ laugh." He confirmed. I shook my head and smirked.

"Siobhan, how's the head holding up?" Anna asked. Siobhan nodded. "Better definitely. God bless the sponsor who sent this." She held up the medicine we'd given her. She'd gotten a mysterious parachute yesterday, from some 'well-wisher', and that had seriously helped, otherwise Siobhan would've had a serious concussion.

"Alright, I'm sick of sittin' around. The crack's almost gone. Let's go hunting." Lawson announced. He was right. The crack in the ground had started closing off yesterday, and by now it was barely a foot wide. We could easily cross it. However, I wasn't going to let Law have all the fame. "I'm coming too." I said, hefting a trident as I got up.

"Kyle, Law, be careful. I'll be back here-" Anna was cut off by the ground under our feet, once again starting to rumble. "Not again!" Siobhan yelled.

But this wasn't just an ordinary earthquake. Oh no, it was _much_ worse than that.

About two feet to my right, a column of burning steam shot sky-high through an invisible crack in the ground. As I looked, the same happened to Siobhan's left, and a few feet ahead of us. Within seconds, before any of us could even react, steam was shooting up from everywhere in the ground. We were in a minefield. One wrong step could have resulted in a catastrophe.

"RUN!" Almiro's voice saved us from our shock. He tried to make a dash for the crack, when in front of him, the steam escaped through the ground. He screamed and fell back, shielding his face to save it from the burns. But he didn't stay down long. As steam shot from a crack near his hand, he got to his feet at once.

The ground was shaking underneath us terribly. In midst of that, trying to figure out where the steam would come from next was near impossible. I caught sight of Siobhan and Law running for the cornucopia, but their path too was blocked by the deadly hot vapour.

That's when my eyes landed on Anna. She was poised for running, her eyes darting to every side to find cracks. However, she missed the obvious one in between her feet. As I watched, the crack let out light wisps of smoke, a forewarning. I jolted into action.

"ANNA!" I yelled, as I leapt forward. My hand wrapped around her and I pulled her away. I pulled her to the other side, but the momentum threw me in the way of the steam. I jumped aside, but not before it shot up. I swerved away, but burning pain shot up my arm as the whole thing was exposed to the high temperature.

A guttural scream escaped my throat as I fell away. "KYLE!" I could make out Anna's voice over the rumbling of the ground and the ringing in my ears. My entire left side had been exposed to the steam, and now was red, but nothing was as bad as my arm. One look at it, and I knew this wasn't good.

The entire first layer of skin had been burned off. The color of my arm was now a frightening red, the burnt skin mixed with the blood. The pain was blinding. I knew my screams hadn't stopped, and each one ripped my throat raw. I scrambled back as best as I could, cradling my injured limb, when I spotted Lawson.

He was lying facedown in the ground. He must have fallen due to the quake, and hit his head somewhere. But beside him, I saw the same nightmare unfold once again. The small crack near his head was slowly letting out thin wisps of smoke. Siobhan madly jumping from one side to another to avoid the blasts.

I don't know what came over me. I could've simply let him die. That would have resulted in a huge advantage for me. Lawson was my biggest competitor. But for some reason, I couldn't remain quiet.

"LAW, MOVE!" I yelled at him. My voice seemed to jar him awake, but he was sluggish, The wisps were now getting thicker; he'd never make it away in time.

That's when Almiro came from nowhere, barreling towards him. He clasped Law's shoulders tightly and yanked him back with all the force he seemed to find. The two of them fell out of danger's was just as the steam blasted from the crack. Lawson's eyes were wide, and Almiro was panting hard.

"Oh my god…" Anna was crying next to me as she took in the state of my arm. I was leaning against the Cornucopia, trying to keep my hand away from any contact. However, even in my pained, dazed state, I could make out the fact that the earthquake was slowly coming to a stop, and that the steam shot up less often.

As Siobhan leaped away once more, the last bit of steam was thrown up by a crack, before the earthquake slowly came to a stop. Lawson collapsed on the ground, breathing hard. Almiro leaned against the Cornucopia, while Siobhan looked furious.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" She yelled up at the sky, and I assumed, the Gamemakers. "Guys, we cant stay here." Anna stated. Lawson seemed too dazed to say anything, and I was in way to much pain to respond. Almiro nodded as he made his way over to me. He slung my good arm over his shoulder and hefted me up. Siobhan pulled up Lawson, then turned to us.

"Anna's right. We're getting as far away from this effin' cornucopia as possible. Then we'll see how to patch Pretty Boy up."

 **Gigabyte Clearwater(15)-D3 Female:**

I clutched the knife as tightly as I could. My eyes were narrowed, like those of a predator, which, in a way, I was. The pain in my shoulder was blinding, as the blood wet my shirt. But I had the satisfaction of knowing my opponent too was injured.

Dwayne's leg was badly wounded by my knife. Lisette was wrapping a bandage around it, which she'd fished out from their supplies, but I could tell he was going to need Capitol medicine for that. And si would I, for my shoulder.

I hadn't left the previous day. I'd simply gone a distance, waited until my shoulder hurt less, then come back. I was going to do this. I needed a kill if I wanted to make an impression. And I hadn't chosen these two at random. I knew Dwayne was disturbed very badly from the bloodbath, and Lisette was too young to do much harm. They were the easiest targets.

I took in a deep breath. This was it.

I leapt down from the tree, knife ready for attacking. Lisette fell back, the bandage being wrapped half-way. Dwayne seemed beyond shocked at my sudden appearance. I had the element of surprise. I wasn't going to ruin it.

I sprung forward into attack. I slashed at Dwayne's chest, aiming for a fatal blow, but Dwayne seemed to snap out of his shock as he rolled away in the nick of time. He kicked out his leg and swept me off my feet. My head hit the ground hard, and I saw stars spotting my vision. By the time I had blinked the away, Dwayne had recovered considerably. He'd managed to picked up his spear, but he was limping badly. Lisette scrambled away from the fight.

Dwayne jabbed the spear at me, but I side-stepped and blocked it with my knife. My shoulder was aching horribly, but I ignored it. I shot out my leg and kicked Dwayne in his injured leg, right at the spot of injury.

I almost laughed as he fell to the ground with a yell. I'd chosen the right tributes. These guys were way too hurt to do much.

I stabbed at Dwayne's collarbone, but he punched me in the stomach, sending me reeling back, clutching my midsection. He was breathing hard, and there was a fire in his eyes that unnerved me. This guy had been affected pretty badly by the bloodbath. He seemed ferocious.

"BRING IT ON!" I challenged. He stood up shakily, but he was leaning his weight heavily on his uninjured leg. He hefted his spear, but he was too weak to do much with it. I couldn't say any less for myself. My shoulder felt as though it was on fire. Yet, we charged each other.

It was like a deadly, broken dance. I stabbed, he blocked. I punched, he ducked. I attacked, he defended.

It would have gone on forever, until one of us bled to death, when suddenly, I felt pain engulf my vision. I felt the back of my head, and when I brought my arm back, I was horrified to see it covered in blood. I looked back to see Lisette holding up a broken piece of asbestos, bloodied from my very own blood, her expression terrified.

This had given Dwayne the distraction he needed. He pounced on my and pinned me to the ground with his whole weight. That's when I knew just how wild he was at the moment. I now understood why mad was a synonym for crazy. The look in his eyes was terrifying.

He brought up his fist, and brought it down on my jaw, hard. I was in too much pain to even register what he was doing. I only knew he was screaming and landing blow after blow on my face.

"DWAYNE STOP!" I could barely make out Lisette's voice. The taste of my own blood filled my mouth. I only saw red. I could tell my jaw had been broken, and my arm had been dislocated. I looked at Dwayne, who seemed a bit more normal now. He looked guilty and shocked, probably at what he'd done.

I could barely lift my head, everything in me hurt. My throat felt raw. "I just... wanted to be remembered..." I managed. Dwayne was crying as he knelt beside my head. "I'm sorry..." he said, his voice breaking.

I closed my eyes as he drove a knife into my throat.

 _Boom_

 **Raymond Tate(12)-D5 Male:**

I jumped as the cannon blew. Another person dead. What was that, the fifth? The fifth inncent child to die just because the Capitol were bloodthirsty idiots.

I mean, what gave them the right to do this? To force children to fight to the death? And that too simply for their own entertainment!? They were monsters, the whole lot of them. If I ever got a chance, I'd bomb the whole place.

I sighed. No twelve year old would think so darkly. But I wasn't oblivious to the harsh world. We lived in a place where innocence had no place. It was do or die. There was no alternative.

I pressed the cloth harder onto my injured part. My leg hurt really badly, so much, so as o immobilize me. Siobhan had hit me in the joint, which meant I couldn't even flex my leg. I leaned my head against the dead tree I was using as a support. I shut my eyes as a tear made its way down my cheek.

I could hear a twig snap, as my trap activated. I sat forward, and saw what seemed to be a squirrel trapped in the netting. Well, at least this arena had animals. My dinner was set.

I started to get up to see what to be done with the thrashing squirrel, when somewhere off to my left, I could hear the shuffling of feet.

I froze. This couldn't be happening. I was in no state to fight right now. My leg wouldnt even allow me to get up. Shakily, I held up the Falchion I'd managed to pick up. My heart jumped into my throat when the people finally broke through the trees. The next emotion I felt was a mix of confusion and relief.

"Frankie!?"

My district partner stood mere feet away from me, accompanied by her ally. Absalom looked slightly shaken up, but he held up his giant axe. Looking at that thing, I knew a fight would mean certain death.

"Raymond? What happened to you?" Frankie asked as she pushed down Absalom's axe. She didn't move, but she sounded concerned. I scoffed. "Siobhan shot me." I told her. She grit her teeth. "That-" She launched into strings of the worst profanities I'd heard in quite some time.

She seemed to catch herself. "Look, Raymond, we don't want a fight." She said. I smirked. "I "I can't even stand, Frankie. You think I want one?" She replied by returning the smirk. "Well, we'll be on our way then. And don't worry. Here, take this. It'll help stop the blood." She tossed me what seemed like a roll of bandage. Before I could even thank her, she dashed off, Absalom at her heels.

Gingerly I wrapped the bandage around my leg, but I knew this wouldn't do. I needed a sponsor to send some medicine. That's the only thing that would help me.

Almost as though my prayers had been heard, I heard the chime of a parachute as a silver one descended from the sky. I reached up and grabbed it, prying it open quickly. Inside lay a tube lf some ointment, which I knew was for my leg. A note lay with it.

 _Keep moving. This'll heal the cut. Be on alert._

 _-DE_

I smiled at the sky. The first real smile I'd smiled since I'd gotten reaped. "Thanks Dane..."

.~.~.~.~

 **A/N: So yeah this was part one of day 2. Sorry if it was short! I really didn't want to drag out the things. Hope the action sufficed though! :)**

 **Omg guys, 330 reviews y'all are just too awesome! Seriously, I hope I'm writing well enough, and if anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve, let me know! I'm always open to suggestions! :)**

 **Oh and I made some changes to the website, so y'all can check that out. Cheers to anyone who can find the differences and additions! I'll give a hint. Not much is changed in the tributes. Its... the other peoples... Tell me if you found them!**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Gigabyte Clearwater- I'm so sorry, Mystical Pine Forest... really... Gigi was an amazing tribute and so much fun to write for. She was different from the regular girls from Three, and she was unique. However, she didn't do so well in the polls. I will miss her a lot, and I hope I did her character justice... RIP Gigi...**

 **Almiro  
Siobhan**  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Nova**  
 **Regina Anna**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

 **Hartley**

 **Ruben**

 **Until Next time then...**


	29. Day Two: Part Two

**Day Two: Part Two**

 **Absalom Sawyer(18)-D7 Male:**

"That was our only roll of bandage." I deadpanned, as Frankie and I trekked through the forest. The trees were bare, their branches like dying arms, stretched out in a last effort calling for help. The forest around us was eerie, made even more so by the slowly setting sun. We were already at the end of the second day, and I was one of the five people to have killed someone.

I couldn't forget Bellona's face when she'd looked at me. Her eyes had held so much pain. Pain that I felt in me. I'd just snatched someone from their friends, a daughter from the parents. Bellona could've easily been a contestant for a victor. And now I had her blood on my hands.

Of course, I knew I needed to have killed her. I couldn't simply let her kill Frankie. But that didn't make the guilt go away in the slightest.

I didn't realize I had stopped, leaning against a tree with my palm pressed to the trunk. My breathing was slightly heavy as I took deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. I couldn't go about feeling guilty for everyone I killed. That wasn't how the Games worked. If you wanted to make it out, you needed to kill.

"Hey, Seven, you okay back there?" Frankie asked without looking at me. When I didn't answer, she called out again, this time sounding more concerned. "Absalom?" she turned around and walked to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, what's happened?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just… I can't forget Bellona. I mean, I've used an axe before, but it was on trees, and once a sofa. But never a human being." I told her. She pressed her lips tightly together. "Look. If you hadn't killed her, I'd be dead. And so would many other who she would proceed to kill. So stop frickin' blaming yourself. Man up, we gotta keep moving. I'm not spending the night in this damned forest." She said, no trace of sympathy in her voice. Strangely, it worked. I took a deep breath and pushed Bellona from my mind. I nodded at her as we kept walking.

"As for the bandage, the both of us are alive. Raymond was half-dead. And I'm not letting Siobhan kill my district partner if I can help it." She said through gritted teeth. I managed a chuckle, at which she flashed me a confused look. "Geez, you can laugh. Didn't know you had that talent too." She said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

It wasn't until about twenty minutes later, that we came to the edge of the patch of the forest. We'd stumbled upon another part of the city, this one much smaller and in much more of a worse state that the previous. "Jeez…" Frankie said, drawing in a breath. I nodded in assent as we both hesitantly entered what seemed to be the remains of a shop.

The dust trickled through my nose, and I pulled my shirt over it. Frankie looked around, holding out her Glaive. She searched the room, looking for any signs of another tribute. When she found none, she visibly relaxed. She turned back to face me, and froze.

 _Hissss…._

The color drained from her face. I knew that sound. As I watched, a two feet long snake slithered out from behind a fallen piece of rock behind Frankie, and slithered away from between her feet.

Frankie screamed, making me jump. I'd never seen her look quite so terrified. She tried to run towards me, but tripped on another broken piece of the building. She backed up on all fours, as I stood there, not quite knowing what to do.

To my horror, I watched as scores of snakes slithered out from behind the fallen shelves. Each and every one of them made their way towards Frankie, slithering up her legs and into her hair. They were covering her body within no time, completely ignoring me.

Frankie's screams filled the air. They were sounds of pure terror. She frantically batted at her arms and legs, ripping snakes out. But the things simply overwhelmed her. Before I knew it, he was basically convulsing on the ground, writhing and screaming her head off.

I snapped out of my daze and rushed over to her. I couldn't make out any poisonous snakes from these ones, at least from what I remembered from Training. I pried the snakes off of her, but it wasn't easy with her thrashing and screaming. She wasn't even screaming English anymore. Her shouts were warbled noises of horror.

"Frankie just stay still!" I yelled, desperately trying to hold her down. The snakes were everywhere. I pulled one off just as it was about to enter her shirt, but it only led to Frankie screaming louder. I knew she would probably draw a lot of attention with all her screaming, but at the moment I focused on getting the snakes off.

Slowly, as I watched, the snakes began decreasing in number. Before, as soon as I pulled one off, it would come back. But now, as I pulled one off, it would slither away, not looking around. It took me a good five minutes, but the snakes decreased exponentially.

Frankie was still screaming, her voice hoarse now. I pulled the last one out of her hair and flung it to the side. However, even with all the snakes gone, she didn't stop thrashing.

"GET THEM OFF!" She screamed, still swatting at her body. I held her by the shoulders. "Frankie, they're gone. Just calm down!" I tried to be as soft as possible, but I could see it was having no effect. Frankie's gaze was panicked. She was about to lose it completely. I'd had no idea Frankie'd been so deathly afraid of snakes.

I tried to hold her down, but she writhed in my arms. She thrashed, looking around in a panicked way. "KEEP THEM AWAY!" She yelled, even though not a single snake was in sight. That's when it hit me.

Frankie was going into shock.

This was bad. This was very bad. I couldn't have her going into shock, because then she'd be more trouble than help. I caught myself. Had I really just though that? Was that how emotionless I'd become? I shook my head. I needed to save Frankie because she was an ally.

But I had no idea how to stop someone from going into shock. I tried to stop her from thrashing around, constantly telling her the snakes were gone, but it seemed to have no effect.

That's when I heard it. The chime of a parachute. I looked up to see a silver one descend from the sky with a 5 on it.

I snatched it and quickly opened it, momentarily letting go of Frankie as she backed up to a wall, breathing heavily. I snatched out what seemed like a small vial, holding a clear amber liquid. I looked at the note that came with it.

 _Keep her alive_

 _-DE_

I almost laughed. Dane was one smart guy. I recognized the liquid. Sleep serum. If Frankie was asleep, that would prevent her from going into shock. One could only go into shock while conscious. I smirked at the sky, letting Dane know I knew what he wanted me to do.

I approached Frankie as softly as I could. "Frankie, I'm gonna need you to drink this." I held out the vial for her. She looked at me with wide eyes and screamed, shoving me back. "STAY AWAY!"

I sighed. "Alrighty then. I didn't want to do this, but you're not giving me a choice." I told her. I grabbed her face and pressed her cheeks together, forcing her mouth open. Frankie may have been thrashing, but I overpowered her by brute force. I opened the vial and poured the contents down her throat.

I let go of her as I saw it immediately take effect. Frankie blinked, trying to make sense of what was going on, but her eyes were already closing. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she started to fall, but I caught her. She was heavier than she looked.

I shook my head. At least a sleeping Frankie was better than a going-crazy-trying-to-kill-me Frankie. I slung one of her arms around my neck and picked her up, leaning her against me. Now all I had to do was get out of this place. I'd rather the dead forest than some place which could rob us of our very sanity.

 **Avena Larson(17)-D9 Female:**

Trudging through the ruined city was taxing and annoying. Everywhere I looked, there were only signs of destruction. Ruined buildings, falling structures. Pieces of plaster littered the floor.

"Um, if I may, what exactly are we looking for?" I heard Blake ask in a barely controlled voice. I scowled back at him. "No, you may not." I answered curtly. However, I could feel his gaze on me, and after a moment I sighed. "Food. I want to get to that patch of forest, up ahead, and through this part of the ruined city is the shortest way." I explained, pointing in the direction I'd specified.

"Can't we take a break? My feet are tired..." Eva complained. I looked back at her and chuckled. "Eva, it's not that much further. Hold out, because we need the food." I said, reaching back and ruffling her hair. Blake huffed. I looked back to see him looking like a pouty little kid.

"I ask politely and got snapped at. She complains and gets her hair ruffled." He said. I couldn't help but laugh, he looked so kiddish! I reached up and ruffled his hair, slightly mre roughly than Eva, just to mess it up. I smiled. "There, ya' happy now?" Blake laughed.

I turned back and kept walking. I had to admit, though Blake had seemed like a jerk to me in the beginning, he was starting to seem much better. He was actually pretty nice. I'd initially thought he'd turn out to be a manipulative shitface, but he seemed genuinely nice.

I sighed. I couldn't afford to get too attached to these guys. I had already become much more attached to Eva than I'd have liked, and I didn't need Blake on that list too. I needed to get back home.

I let a small smile trace my lips as the boy's faces passed in front of my eyes. I would get back to them. I wasn't going to give up so easily.

In my stupor, I hadn't noticed the ground start shaking beneath us. I could hear someone, Blake, yell me name, and I turned around to face him. Too late did I realize he wasn't calling me.

He was warning me.

Behind me, I could feel the ground split up, just as it had at the cornucopia. I leapt away, but I wasn't fast enough. Before I even knew what was happening, I could feel the earth beneath my feet give away, and I started to fall, the orange glow of the lava looking terrifying below.

I reached up for a handhold and felt someone grasp my arms. I didn't even know how loudly I'd been screaming. As I looked up, I could see Blake, his eyes narrowed in strain as he kept me from falling to me death.

I was still screaming. "PULL ME UP!" My voice was terror-striken. Blake couldn't even speak from the strain. However, he slowly, gradually, began to pull me up.

Once I could feel my stomach cross the line of the edge, he yanked me up with full force. As I got over the edge, he grabbed me around my waist and pulled me as far from it as possible.

I was just about frozen in fear. I buried mt face into his neck, breathing hard. My breaths were ragged and uneven. I couldn't believe how close to death I'd been. "Hey, it's okay... you're okay... it's alright..." Blake muttered calming words, patting my back.

Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. I forced myself to calm down. I couldn't be so weak. As I calmed down, I realized I still had my arms around Blake. I quickly let go and stepped back. "Thanks..." I muttered. Blake smiled.

I looked at Eva, who's eyes were wide with shock. Slowly she seemed to regain composure as she took in the fact that I was fine. That's when a smal smirk appeared on her lips. "What?" Blake asked, going slightly red, though from strain or embarrasment, I couldn't tell. Eva shrugged, the smirk not leaving her face. "Nothing at all..." She said.

I ignored her smirk and nodded. "Right. So the forest is obviously out. We'll have to ration our supplies for tonight and hunt again tomorrow. Come on." I ordered, as I started walkin away in the opposite direction, giving Eva a small smack on the head as I went. She simply laughed.

As I walked, I thought back on my situation. I couldn't believe how close I'd been to dying. If it hadn't been for Blake, I'd have been melted goo. I owed him my freaking life.

So much for not getting attached to allies...

 **Hartley Butterwell(18)-D9 Male:**

I leaned against the tree, my stomach growling. I hadn't had much to eat except the bark of some dead tree, and a few berries. I had picked up a bag at the cornucopia, along with a butcher's knife, but the bag didn't contain any food. And unfortunately, it didn't look as though I'd be getting any sponsors, not with everyone going head over heels for the careers.

Seeing the face of the girl from Eight in the sky had been a jolt. I'd expected her to go pretty far. I still wondered who had taken her out so early. I sighed, as I remembered the bloodbath. I'd almost fallen into the crack, and had it not been for the boy from Eleven, Dwayne, I'd have been dead. I still remembered the boy's expression as he'd pulled me up. He'd seemed slightly off, screaming at the top of his lungs that he wasn't about to watch another person die.

I hadn't gotten to thank him, but I honestly wish I could.

I rubbed y token, the dry piece of bread Rye had given me oh so many years ago. I missed Rye. He'd been my best friend for so long, he'd supported me through everything. He hadn't had a good past of his own, but we were each other's stones.

My mother's face flashed in front of my eyes, and I could feel my heart fill with many emotions. I'd never forgive her for killing my father, but that didn't mean I didn't miss her. She was my mother, after all. I knew she loved me, but I simply couldn't get myself to return that love, not after having seen her kill my father before my eyes.

I chuckled a bit as I remembered Avena telling me to get off my butt and face the Games. If I could survive the pains of y past, I could survive the Games. That's what she'd told me. I briefly wondered how Avena was doing. I had heard one cannon today, but I was hoping it wasn't hers. She was way too tough for that. However, after seeing Bellona be a bloodbath, I couldn't say anything.

 _Hartley…_

I spun around, sitting up and holding out my knife. Where had that voice come from? It had been raspy and hoarse. I stepped away from the tree I was leaning against, as the bushes near me rustled.

Suddenly, a pale white hand shot out, grasping at the ground. I let out a startled cry and fell back. As I watched, more hands started coming out from behind the bush. The hands slowly emerged, and so did the bodies they were attached to.

The things, I couldn't even call them humans, were deathly pale, with heads devoid of hair, and mouths devoid of teeth. All that were there were bloodied gums and shards of white enamel. Their hands were sickly looking, just like the rest of their bodies. Ripped pieces of clothing hung off their frail frames. However, they slowly crawled towards me, whispering my name, snarling and biting.

Fear closed up on me. Why were these mutts after me!? What had I done? Why did all this always happen to me!? I swung my knife as one of them got too close for comfort, slashing the head clean off. However, this backfired big-time.

The things started shrieking and clawing at me, tearing at my clothes and ripping at my skin. I was screaming, but they were clawing at my mouth too. I gagged as one of their hands went inside my mouth and scratched my cheek. I pushed the thing off, but more took it's place.

I slashed at them with my knife, cutting off arms, limbs and heads. But nothing slowed them. I retreated further and further, in a desperate attempt to get away from the things, but they wouldn't let me go. I could feel my shoe being ripped off.

Suddenly, a familiar rumble filled the Earth. I looked back, to see the ground splitting once again. Hot steam rose from the crack, not shooting up, but enough to let me know that deadly lava boiled below. I looked back at the mutts, slowly advancing, backing me up to the crack, which slowly grew bigger.

I slashed at them again, but they simply wouldn't back down. I felt hot tears cascade down my cheeks as one of them dug its nails into my leg. I kicked it away, but I'd forgotten how big the crack was. I lost my footing in the process, and soon I was falling backwards.

I lashed out with my hand and grabbed the edge, as I watched my knife fall into the boiling lava below. I held onto the crumbling ledge with both hands, as the mutts crowded above me, gnawing at my hands. Pain filled my eyesight, but I couldn't let go.

I was really sobbing now. I had no way out of this. I could go up, or the mutts would push me back down. There was no option for me. I closed my eyes.

"I love you mom, dad… I always have…" I said, my voice breaking. I sent one last look of utter spite at the mutts, who'd bitten my finger's to bloodied messes, before letting go of the ledge.

I didn't have any thought as the fire engulfed me.

 _Boom_

 **Lawson Dean(18)-D2 Male:**

This was the first time Kyle was actually in danger of breaking down into tears. I could tell he was holding them back for the sake of the 'strong career' image. But as Anna dabbed at his burn with a moist cloth, he shut his eyes tight, whimpering.

"God, that looks bad." Siobhan muttered. I couldn't have agreed more. Kai's entire left hand was burnt. At least, the outer side was, not the one that rubbed against his body. Sure, I disliked Kai, but that arm looked terrible. The skin was burnt and red, the blood drying on his shirt. I couldn't believe he'd done that for Anna.

But what I couldn't believe even more was that he'd warned me when the steam had blasted near me. Why in the world would he have done that? And I knew for a fact Almiro had saved my life when he'd pulled me away. Great, another person I owed. Damn, did I hate owing people. I was in the bloody Games. How the hell was I supposed to kill people if I kept owing them?

Kyle let out a cry, and Anna sniffed. She'd been crying on and off ever since Kai'd gotten hurt. "I'm sorry… there's nothing else I can do… This needs Capitol medicine…" She said softly, her voice wavering. Kai's expression was one of acceptance. "I know…" He managed. He looked at Anna, who met his eyes for a second, before looking away. "I don't regret what I did." He said firmly.

"Awwww…." Siobhan cooed, clasping her hands together. I smacked the back of her head. "Hey!" She protested, proceeding to punch my shoulder. Despite our situation, I let out a laugh. I reached over and poked Siobhan, and she cringed, though laughing. I looked over to see even Kai smiling and Anna looking confused, as to whether smile or not. Almiro simply looked amused.

The chime of a parachute brought us back to reality. Siobhan reached out and grabbed it, opening it to find a large tube of some sort of ointment. "It's for Kai!" She announced happily, throwing the tube to Anna. Anna's face broke into a huge grin, as she immediately began applying the medicine on Kai's arm. From Kai's expression, I could tell the medicine worked like magic.

"There's a note too." Siobhan said, holding the paper up. "Two, actually. 'keep pretty boy Pretty', from Dellora. Wow, she's cheerful. And Tide says, 'Stay safe and ignore Dellora. Tell Kai not to try and play Hero all the time.'"

Kai simply laughed. With him already healing, the group burst into chatter. I was distracted by a soft whisper.

" _Law!"_

I spun around, trying to locate the source. As I did, my eyes went to the lining of the forest. I saw a sall figure standing there, beckoning to me. I narrowed my eyes. That couldn't be who I thought it was, could it?

"Hey, guys, I'll be right back." I told them, my eyes still on the person. I ignored their protests, as I got up and marched over to where she stood.

Once I was obscured from the careers by the trees, I rounded on Lisette. "What the HELL do you think you're doing here!?" I exclaimed. She looked ready to cry. "I… I needed your help…" She managed.

I scoffed. "And what makes you think you'll get that? I could just kill you right now, you know." I told her. She smiled. "You didn't even bring a sword. You could snap my neck, but if I know you, you won't." she said. I raised an eyebrow, and huffed. "Fine. What is it?"

She looked sad. "My ally and I… we've tried… but we're rubbish at hunting. We haven't had anything to eat since before the bloodbath." She told me. I could see that Lisette looked a bit weaker than I'd seen her. Her eyes were slightly sunken.

"So you want me to hunt for you?" I asked, amazed she could ask such a favor of me. I mean, what did she think of herself? Simply coming up and asking me to be like her big brother, hunting animals for her. However, then she looked at me with those big, hopeful brown eyes, and I knew for a fact I wasn't going to be getting any kills as of now. I groaned. The Capitol was probably laughing at me for this.

I was the big bad career from Two. I had no emotion. I shouldn't have been helping some girl from Six. But Lisette had a true heart. She'd helped me even though I'd had nothing to do with her. And she was innocent. True, I wasn't above killing, but I couldn't outright slaughter someone when they were asking for my help.

"Fine. But I don't have a weapon." I stated. She beamed widely, despite her weak state, and handed me one of her own knives. Once again, I marveled at the trust she'd placed in me. I could easily swing this knife into her chest, but after seeing her so outwardly trust me, I couldn't get myself to do that.

I trudged forward, looking for some animal to kill. After a while, my eyes landed on some kind of a rodent. I silently walked up to it, and without hesitation, jabbed my knife into its throat. The blood oozed out as I held it up for Lisette. "Will this do?"

Lisette nodded, but as she reached out to take it from me, She faltered, her knees buckling. "Hey!" I exclaimed, jumping forward and catching her. "Lisette, you okay?" I asked, patting her cheek. After a moment, she blinked hard and stood up. "Yeah… just a little weak…" She said. Her voice was fragile. I thought about it for a moment, then took off my jacket. I began to wrap the rodent in it, when Lisette stopped me.

"Don't. Take mine." She said, holding out her own. I didn't argue. Something told me this girl wouldn't hold out much longer. I quickly wrapped the rodent in it, and handed it to her. She looked a bit queasy, but she smiled.

Then, without a forewarning, she threw her arms around my waist and pulled me into a hug. Before I could react, she pulled away. "Thanks Law!" She beamed. I honestly didn't know what to do, so I simply nodded. She started walking away, when I called out again.

"Lisette, you sure you can get to your ally?" I asked. She smiled again and nodded. "Yeah! I can do this!" She said cheerfully. She started walking away, and I didn't stop her. That kid was strong. She'd manage. Meanwhile, I needed to get back to the careers.

I tried to feel guilty for helping her instead of killing her, but as I walked back to the camp, I couldn't help but let a small smile appear on my lips.

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: Hola! Hopefully you guys liked this chapter! I'm like, seriously half-dead from studying and writing, so this'll be pretty short. However, you guys are seriously awesome for all the support you've given me...**

 **SInce my exams are approaching, updates will be less frequent, and there'll be a hiatus whenever my exams are there. But please don't ever think I'll abandon this because O never will. You guys are awesome and I can only hope I write well enough for you. :)**

 **Also, Kudos to those who noticed the changes on the website! Yes, Thaddeus was changed. I thought this guy looked more the part, and I honestly wanted someone who looked kick-buttowski for Thaddy-boy. Also, yep, the D10 mentor was added. She'll be introduced soon enough ;-)**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Hartley Butterwell: 20, I'm so so so sorry... really.. Hartley was an amazing character... no kidding. He was unique and he was interesting. Unfortunately, the poll results were not in his favor. Killing him was really hard. I hope you can forgive me. RIP Hartley... you will be missed. I hope I could do him justice...**

 **Almiro  
Siobhan**  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Nova**  
 **Regina Anna**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

 **Ruben**


	30. Day Three: Part One

**Day Three:**

 **Part One:**

 **Almiro Fitzroy(18)-D1 Male:**

Everytime I heard a cannon, my thoughts would immediately go to Regina. I was literally the only one who was without their district partner in this alliance. I watched as Anna gently stroked Kai's hair, as he slept. She caught my eye and smiled. I smiled back. Those two really were nice.

I looked over at where Lawson lay, clutching his sword. He'd gone to sleep holding it. I shook my head. Lawson was really confusing. At tmes he could be fun-filled and jolly, and at others he was plain viscous.

Anna and I were keeping watch. We hadn't gotten any sleep last night, due to the whole steam thing, but now, we let the others rest. Anna stayed up because she refused to leave Kai's side, and I simply didn't feel sleepy.

"I can't stop thinking about that moment, Almiro…" Anna muttered. I raised my eyebrow. "What moment?" I asked. She sighed. "When Kai saved me. I can't believe he did that. He could've died. But he didn't hesitate." I saw her take Kai's arm when he stirred slightly in his sleep. My smile grew wider. "Well, he did the right thing. And like he said. He doesn't regret it. Don't worry Anna. Kai's not going to be taken out by hot vapour." I assured her. She laughed softly.

Kai's arm really was looking much better. The burn had dried up, and only scabs were left. The capitol medicine worked like Magic. I thought back to the first sponsor gift we'd gotten. The medicine for Siobhan. It hadn't come from her mentors. It had come from a well-wisher. I had a fair idea who it was, but I decided not to say anything.

Suddenly Anna's eyes grew wide. "Ow!" she yelped. I was about to ask her what happened, when I felt something sharp prick my hand. It had felt as though it had fallen from the sky. I looked at my hand and picked out a small, tiny glass shard. My eyes grew as wide as Anna's.

"Lawson! Siobhan! Wake up!" I yelled, shoving them to rile them up. Lawson was up in an instant, but Siobhan was sluggish. I yanked her up to snap her out of it. Meanwhile, Anna seemed to get Kai.

"What's going on!?" Kai asked. He seemed to be pretty good on his feet now. He looked at me, when he flinched. "Ow, what the heck!?" he exclaimed.

Suddenly my whole body felt like it was being pricked. The air around me was a haze. It was as though it was raining, but instead of water, it was..

"GLASS!" Siobhan screamed. "It's freaking raining glass!" She tried to cover her face with her hands, which were already cut up.

Pain shot through my arms, as the glass cut me everywhere. I grabbed a backpack and held it over my head to protect it, but the glass was falling on us in torrents. Thanfully it was only small shards, had it been larger, we would have been bloodied corpses.

A scream drew my attention to Kai. The glass ran down his arm, cutting the barely healed burnt flesh. Kai staggered back, clutching his arm. "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Lawson yelled over the downpour. Anna didnt hesitate before taking off her jacket and wrapping it around Kai. That exposed her bare arms to the glass, but she didn't seem to care.

The glass rain came down harder by the second. Screams raged through the air. We were running around blind. We couldn't breathe, in fear of glass going up our nose. We couldn't see, for it threatened to flow into our eyes. It cut us everywhere, leaving thin scratches. But with the sheer amount of glass, we were soon bleeding profusely.

We were running, but with no direction. We were simply letting our legs carry us wherever they could. We couldn't see anything, so we were in a desperate dash from an opponent we could never defeat by our weapons.

I felt extremely worried for my allies, but at the moment, my mind let me think of nothing more than simply running to some shelter. If only we could get to the city, we could find shelter.

I'd completely lost sight of my allies. All I knew was that they were alive from the screaming. Fear numbed me to the extent that I couldn't even feel the emotion itself.

"ALMIRO!"I heard a faint voice, muffled by the sound of the sharp downpour. Panic had engulfed me, but the small part of my mind that thought rationally commanded my body to stop. The glass cut me harder, but I listened more closely.

"TO YOUR LEFT!" Siobhan. That had definitely been Siobhan's voice. I looked to my left, and through the haze of the glass, I could see nothing. I held my hand to my forehad, shielding my eyes as I searched.

There! I could make out the faint outline of some sort of run down cottage. I also saw someone frantically beckoning to me. The pain of the glass was blinding, but I forced my mind to stay calm. If I stayed here, I'd die from the rain.

Steeling my nerves, I ran. I ran blindly towards Siobhan's voice. I knew nothing spare my destination. All I wanted was to reach wherever it was she stood.

Suddenly I felt strong hands grasp my shoulder. I was yanked to my left, and in a flash, the feeling of the glass on my skin ceased. All that was there was the burning sensation of the glass which was already lodged inside my skin.

I looked around at where I was. Siobhan and Lawson stood in front of me, bloodied and panting. None of us spoke. We were too shocked by what had just happened.

"If I win this, I'm gonna yell my damn head off at whoever thought that up." Siobhan grumbled finally. Lawson sat down hard. I took in my surrounding. I seemed to be in exactly what I'd originally thought. A run-down cottage. A groan escaped Law's mouth. That's when I noticed the stark reduction in our numbers.

"Hey where are Kai and Anna!?" I asked, worried. I looked outside the small door of the cottage. If they were still out there...

"They got separated from us during the Rain."

"Well we have to look for them!" I exclaimed. Lawson rounded on me sharply. "Are you crazy!?" He demanded. I retreated a bit, startled by Law's sudden outburst. However, I quickly gathered my wits.

"They're our allies!" I stated. Lawson shook his head. "They're our competition. Well, Kai is, anyway." He corrected me. I couldn't believe this. I looked at Siobhan for help. She gave me a guilty look. "Look Almiro... As sweet as Anna is, and as nice as Kai is, they're still our competition. This way, when we kill them, we'll feel less terrible." She reasoned.

I shook my head. "I don't believe this." I grumbled. Law looked at me sternly. "If you want, you're free to go look for them. But you'll be doing it alone." He said. I contemplated it. Should I? I mean, Kai and Anna were allies. I cared about them. But as I looked outside, I noticed the rain hadn't stopped.

Also, Siobhan's reasoning wasn't wrong. As monstrous as it made me feel, that was correct. If I wanted to get back to Clos and Becca, Kai and Anna had to die. So did Siobhan and Lawson. I sighed.

"I'll stay. So I guess this means the career alliance has finally split into two?" I asked. Lawson set his jaw.

"Yes. It has. And the next time Kyle Daniels and Lawson Dean meet, only one of us will be standing."

 **Siobhan O'Brian(17)-D2 Female:**

I knew Almiro was against our decision of abandoning Kai and Anna, but he was a mature guy. He'd eventually see light. Lawson didn't see too happy with the decision he'd made either; he looked pretty conflicted. But it had to be done. Sure, I felt horribly guilty for leaving Anna and Kyle out there, but I couldn't help it. We needed to stay alive.

But, now that the rain had ceased quite some time ago, I had a plan. I almost chuckled. I picked up my bow and arrow and stood up. Lawson raised an eyebrow at me. "Time to say hello to a sweetheart." I told him sweetly. He rolled his eyes at me. "Try not to die." He said. I smiled at him.

I walked out of our little cottage, and headed in the direction I'd seen him. When we'd been running from the rain, I'd caught a glimpse of him huddled under a tree. Of course, I couldn't have done anything then, but now, I was going to give him a little surprise.

Raymond wouldn't know what hit him.

I walked through the forest, desperately looking about to spot the place in which I'd seen him. I had an arrow ready at the go, but I wasn't going to make his death quick and painless. Besides, he was already injured. How hard could it be? I was a trained career, and he was a small kid from Five.

I looked at my surroundings, finding similarities to what I'd previously seen. I got my confirmation when I heard the rustling of leaves. I turned around, bow notched, smirking. "Come out come out wherever you are!" I cooed. When nothing happened, I laughed. "Raymond, sweetie, I know you're there. Don't worry, I'm only here to talk!" I couldn't help but laugh at the end. He knew what was coming.

I had him. even if he didn't step out, I could easily hit him with my arrow, and then it would be cakewalk. I watched as the leaves behind a bush rustled, and from behind the bush, out stepped a thin figure, around my height. Damn, either he was really tall, or I was really short. Probably the latter, I was five four.

Raymond looked angry and frightened. His jaw was firm. "What have I ever done to you!?" He demanded. I simply sneered. "Oh nothing. This is my revenge. Watch, Dane, as your tribute DIES in front of you!" I yelled, letting the arrow fly. Raymond jumped to the side, but the arrow still grazed his hand. He brought out something from his belt, and I laughed.

"Really? A kunai? Against me?" I scoffed. I took out the long sleek dagger I carried. Raymond's eyes grew wide. He quickly returned to a tight-lipped expression, poising himself for a fight.

I launched myself at him, slashing at his chest. He ducked and rolled out of the way. This kid was fast. Being scrawny enabled him to be agile. As he lay on the ground, I turned around, smirking. I finally had him. He made a feeble attempt by stabbing my foot, but honestly, I had faced worse injuries than a kunai.

"You'll have to do better…" my voice faltered. I staggered back, my eyes growing wider. I could feel it course through my body. I held out my hands in front of me to see the veins popping out. I grasped my throat, coughing. I fell to my knees, my legs giving out under me. My body was overcome with weakness and fatigue. I couldn't breathe. My eyesight was spotted with stars. In front of me, Raymond rose to his feet. His expression was angrier than before.

"Recognize that, Siobhan? Nightlock. Learned it in Training. Told you I wouldn't be easy to put down." He snarled. He picked up his supplies and started walking away. I was retching by now. I lashed out at him with my hand, begging for some support, but he stepped away. His eyes held remorse, but also defiance. "You volunteered for this." He said. I watched him walk away, watched his retreating form grow smaller.

How could this be? How could I, a trained career, be defeated by the kid who I was supposed to kill? I leaned against a tree, darkness clogging my vision. I hadn't ingested the poison, but it had been on the knife with which he'd stabbed me. It was slowly consuming my body.

That's when I heard the most pleasure-giving sound imaginable.

The chime of a parachute.

I waited for it to settle beside me, before I grabbed it. My fingers were growing increasingly weak, and so was I. My eyesight was hazy. My head was spinning. The poison had almost taken me over. I needed the cure fast.

I finally opened the box to find a syringe filled with some sort of a liquid. Elated, I picked it up, and was about to inject myself, when I saw the note.

 _Forgive me if you can_

It wasn't signed by anyone. My mind started turning as I realized who'd sent me this.

Dane.

I couldn't believe it. Why would he do that? Not only was I not from his district, but I had also tried to kill his tribute.

No. I couldn't do this. I couldn't live at the mercy of my brother's killer. I couldn't…

But what would Stefan have said? Would he have wanted me to die because I held a grudge? And Dane had gone out of his way to try and save me. As much as I hated him, that made him seem better in my eyes.

I raised the syringe to my arm and injected myself with the liquid.

I felt nothing. The poison still coursed through me. I could feel the cure fighting the poison in me. I turned and threw up black blood. That's when I came to the horrible realization.

I'd hesitated too long. The cure was powerless against the extent to which the poison had spread within me. My persistence on hating Dane, who'd done everything possible to save me, was what led to this. I could feel my vision darkening as the poison finally took me over.

"I… forgive…"

 _Boom_

 **Dane Evans(17)-Victor of the 56th Hunger Games**

Dane slapped the table in front of him. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. "NO!" He cried as he heard her cannon blow. He was too late. He'd been too late. He couldn't save her. Now her blood was on his hands too, along with Stefan's.

"Dane, calm down…" Aaran said, rubbing his back. Dane rounded on him. "I FAILED! I COULDN'T SAVE HER!" He cried. He was really sobbing now. "I swear Aaran, I tried… I tried…" his voice broke. He sunk to his knees, head bowed down. He could feel Aaran huff above him.

"I couldn't do it and now her death is my fault! I could've saved her! She died because she hated me!" he cried. He couldn't believe it. What use was being a mentor if he couldn't save anyone. The pain in his chest grew by the second. He simply couldn't handle watching so many people die all over again. Before, he'd only seen a few people die. Now, he had to watch twenty-three kids die.

Siobhan's face swam in front of him. If only it hadn't been him. He could've let someone else send it. He could've convinced someone else. Dane buried his face in his hands, the tears dripping to the floor through his fingers.

Suddenly, he felt someone take his shoulders. The touch was too soft to be Aaran's. It was definitely a girl's. The person pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him. Dane knew who this was. He buried his face in her neck and simply cried.

Kimaya Canterstein. The substitute mentor for District Ten, after Kay's death. Stark was a little shocked after that, so he needed help. And the whole Capitol loved Kimi, so she was called over. She'd arrived the previous day.

Kimi had been known for being the Survivor. She had healing skills like magic. Through her Games, whenever she'd gotten into a fight, she'd eventually run away, and fix herself up. She'd outlived everyone else. She'd even managed to spear the girl from Nine, who'd been her final competitor.

But Kimi was different from the others. She hadn't lost her personality. She hadn't let the Games affect her. She was still the bubbly, jolly, ready to help Kimi that she'd been known for.

Dane pulled away, wiping his face. Kimi put a hand under his chin and made him meet her eyes. "Stop that Dane." Her voice wasn't comforting. It was stern. "I couldn't save her…" Dane said weakly. Kimi smacked his cheek, lightly.

"Are you crazy? You did everything possible. You went to a prom with a lady three times your age, just to get Siobhan that medicine for her head. Oh yeah, I know that was you. And now, you went through all the trouble to give her the cure. Why? Because she blamed you for something you couldn't have helped?"

"Dane, we've all killed people. That's the face of the Games. If you don't kill, you freaking die. You killed Stefan, because without him, you wouldn't be standing here. And what you've done for Siobhan, no one does. And I heard what she'd said in the end. She forgave you, Dane. Now, stop breaking down like this. You have to put it all behind you. You can't be weak. Raymond and Frankie need you. You understand?" Kimi said. Demanded, more.

Dan stared at her with wide eyes. Many people had told him to stop feeling bad, many had tried to comfort him. But the way Kimi rubbed the truth in his face and simply stated that he needed to stop being weak, strangely, that's what hit him. He straightened up. True, the guilt of Siobhan's death was looming over him. But he couldn't give up. Frankie and Raymond still needed him. He wiped his tears and smiled at Kimi.

"Thanks Kimi..." He said softly. Kimi grinned. "That's my boy." she said, patting his back.

They were interrupted by a Peacekeeper. "Miss Canterstein?" He asked gruffly. "Yes?" Kimi replied, looking slightly confused.

"I need you to come with me. You and mister Penber have been called. Please, this way." He said, gesturing to a corridor. Dane shot Kimi a befuddled look, which she returned. She squeezed his shoulder and started walking with him, when she stopped. "Wait, but who called us?" she asked. The peacekeeper paused for a moment before responding.

"Thaddeus Sheen."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: YES! Two updates in two days! Even if that means I have to stay up till 3 AM for it!**

 **Well, actually, I wanted to get this chapter out. Because I have some bad news. After this chapter, there's gonna be another hiatus.**

 **Okay, here's the deal. So I have exams for two weeks, then a break of a week, then again exams for two weeks, a break for a month, and then again exams. I know. It's murder, trust me. But, I simply cannot neglect these, as these are quite possibly one of the most important exams for my future. I seriously hope you understand guys. Don't worry, all that time won't be update-less. But there will definitely be no update till December 16th. I swear I will never give up or abandon you, but please understand my situation.**

 **On a happy note, 350 REVIEWS CROSSED OMG YAZZZ! Shout-out to Wincestcher for being my 350th Reviewer! And to all of you guys for being so awesome! You guys simply rock.**

 **So, Kimi was introduced. What did you think of her? And what do you think Thaddy-boy wants with these guys? Tell me what you though of the chapter! I love hearing from you guys! :)**

 **Hope you liked this! :)**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Siobhan O'Brian: Siobhan was an amazing character. She was upbeat and a lot of fun to write for. She put the funny moments in the tight career moments. However, her poll results weren't so good. Yes, the poll results surprised me quite a lot too. I will sincerely miss her character. Sorry for killing her. RIP Siobhan. You will be missed by all.**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Nova**  
 **Regina Anna**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

 **Ruben**

 **Until next time then...**


	31. Day Three: Part Two

**Day Three:**

 **Part Two:**

 **Nova Pines(13)-D10 Female:**

"Regina, we'll starve to death, could you please hurry it up with that!?" I complained for the umpteenth time. She ignored me. "I am trying." She said in that dainty voice of hers. "Please do not rush me. This is my first time doing this. However, I will do this on my own, I do not need your help. Please, just be patient."

Regina had been trying for an hour to get a fire started. Everytime I tried to help her, she'd panic and tell me to go away. She wanted to be 'independent'. Great. Now I had to starve because my ally was incompetent with two rocks. Just great.

"Alright, you know what? I'm done with this. I'll go out and look for some berries. Care to come or will you sit there forever, because let me tell you, that fire aint ever gonna start." I told her, standing up and hefting up my long sleek knife. I'd scored a solid when I'd gotten this, but the price had been to be separated from Colt.

Thinking of Colt made me sad. I wondered what he was doing… Was he looking for me? Had he found an ally? I wanted to go back to him, but for now I was stuck with little miss Princess, and though I didn't like it, I couldn't very well leave her.

"Very well, I shall accompany you. But please let me pick my food for myself." She said, getting up and brushing the dirt from her outfit. I started to walk away, but stopped when I realized Regina wasn't following me. I looked back to see her still dusting the dirt. She stopped and looked at me. "Is the dirt all gone?" she asked. My eyes widened in an incredulous look.

"Um, yes? It doesn't matter? Ginny, in the Games, hygiene really takes no priority." I said as I walked ahead. I could feel her light footsteps catch up and she shrugged. "I like being clean. It makes me feel good." She responded. Jeez, what kind of princess was I stuck with?

We were almost at the edge of the forest, when it felt as though heat had slapped me in the face. I staggered back and so did Ginny. "What the hell!?" I cried. As I regained composure, I tookd a closer look at what was ahead of me.

The forest simply ended. Beyond the edge was acres of lava. Hot boiling, lava. I looked to the side, but the lava seemed to go on endlessly. With horror I realized it was slowly moving towards us. "Back up!" I ordered. We did so hurriedly, but I stopped.

My mind was on overdrive. Before the bloodbath had started, we'd all seen Lava shoot into the sky all around the arena in a ring. Could this be the same thing? And if the lava was slowly moving towards us…

My eyes widened and I choked on my own spit as the realization crashed down on me. The images of the arena of the previous Games flashed into my mind. They were doing it again…

They were slowly destroying the arena. The lava formed a ring around the arena and was gradually converging, consuming everything in its path. Now we didn't just have to face other tributes and the Gamemakers challenges, we had to face a deadline. We were literally in a race against time. Unless someone won by the time this ring fully closed, we'd all be dead. The arena would be gone, consumed by lava….

… just like Pompeii had been.

"Regina, come on." I ordered, my voice shaking. After coming to the realization I just had, I needed to get as far away from this lava as possible. It wasn't moving at an alarming rate, but it was converging all the same. Regina nodded and we set off in the opposite direction.

We'd barely gotten a good thirty meters away, when a sound stopped me. I held Regina's arm and held a finger to my lips at her questioning look. I closed my eyes and listened closely.

"Oh shit…" The words were out of my mouth before I knew it. I turned to run, but found my path blocked my what could only be described as a tribute's worst nightmare.

A mutt.

This mutt seemed almost as though the Gamemakers were mocking us. It was a Pit scorpion. Its mouth was frothing, and its tail rose in the sky with alarming malice. Regina froze completely, her eyes growing wide. A squeak escaped her. I sheathed my knife, trying to control my breathing.

The scorpion lunged at us and we jumped in two different directions. Regina scampered back and leaned against a tree. The scorpion rounded on her and she screamed. Seeing an opportunity, I ran forwards and embedded my knife in the scorpion's back. It let out a menacing yell as I yanked my weapon out. It forgot all about Regina and rounded on my.

It swiped at me with its tail and I jumped in order to avoid it. It shot out an arm and grazed my stomach. I staggered back, holding the wound. Thankfully only the tail had the poison. However, this had given it the opportunity it was looking for. It jumped on top of me, flattening me to the ground with its whole body. It stabbed the tail downward, but I brought up y knife and licked it onto the double-pointed tip.

As the scorpion pushed down, I could feel my arms shaking in an effort to keep the tail away from my face. "Regina!" I cried, begging my ally for help. A few feet away from me, I could see Regina stand up shakily. I thanked the Gods. At least she wasn't a complete idiot.

"Regina help!" I yelled again. She looked at the scorpion, then at me, then at the scorpion, and back at me. Then she set her jaw.

"I'm sorry Nova…" she said. The whole world seemed to slow down as she turned on her heels and ran. All I could do was stare at her retreating form with an open mouth.

"REGINA YOU SHIT FACE!" I yelled, tears now making their way down my cheeks. The scorpion was pressing down harder than ever and I was losing out. I'd saved her life and this was how she repaid me?

But no. I wasn't going to die, not by the hands of some stupid mutt. If I was going to go out, it was going to be with a fight.

"Suck. My. Foot." I spat in its face and kicked upward with my feet, hitting it somewhere on the underside of its belly. It didn't hurt the thing, but made it recoil just the same. This was my opportunity. Fueled with a new burst of strength, I ran forward. I used a nearby tree as a lever and launched myself off of it. I swerved in midair and landed on the scorpion's back. With a guttural yell, I sliced down with my knife and cut the monster's head clean off.

I leapt off its back as the whole thing collapsed. I was breathing hard. All over my body, the cuts and bruises ached horribly. But the worst thing of all was knowing my ally had betrayed me. I wiped away the tear that rolled down my cheek. I wasn't going to be weak. Regina was a good for nothing princess. I cared nothing for her.

I wiped the blood of the mutt on my pants and set off again, refusing to look back, aiming to go as far from the mutt as possible.

 **Nick Noelle(16)-D7 Female:**

I was getting severely bored. Why couldn't I have gone instead? No, Colt simply refused. He told me I needed rest because I hadn't slept in two days. Well, okay, that was true, but that didn't give him permission to leave me sitting here. I mean, I cold barely sit still. I'd told Colt I'd burn down our supplies If I had nothing to do and he gave me the are-you-always-this-crazy look and walked off. Jeez.

Footsteps behind me drew my attention towards the sound. I turned to see Colt walking towards me, empty handed. I rolled my eyes. "Back so quickly? Gee, you must've found something really good! Oh look! Its even invisible!" I exclaimed sarcastically. Colt sat down on a boulder opposite to me and sighed. "I found nothing." He said.

"Yeah, I got that bit myself, funnily enough. Now, do something productive. Get off that butt of yours and get some wood from that tree. We need to make a fire because I am not eating that disgusting rabbit raw.

Yes, we'd managed to hunt a rabbit. It'd pretty much just been Colt. All I had done was walk up to the bunny and yell really loudly so that it scampered away and went right into the trap Colt had set up. Problemo solved.

I watched as Colt took out a huge knife from his set and stood up. I felt slightly uneasy. Why did he need a knife that big? We needed wood for the fire, not for a house. And the smile on his face was unsettling. He seemed… unhinged.

Then, as he started walking away from me, I looked at his footprints and my eyes widened. I forgot how to breathe for a moment.

His footprints were leading towards me, when he'd literally walked away in the other direction. I gripped my axe tightly. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely not my ally. It was a clone, with backwards feet. If my situation hadn't been so terrifying, I'd have found that funny.

I got up from my place to decide whether to run away or not, when not-Colt turned around. He smiled at me. "Leaving the party so soon? I thought we were allies!" He said, his smile growing into a sneer. Now, I hadn't known Colt for very long, but something told me he'd never look like that.

"Back the hell off. I'm allies with a human, not with a clone with backward feet." I said, holding out my axe. Not-Colt laughed. "Oh, I'm no clone. Haven't you heard of which things have backwards feet?" He asked. He dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?"

Now, let me say this in my defense. What happened next was truly freaky. Fine, maybe I overreacted a teensy bit, but I will say this. No one saw what Not-Colt became.

His lower jaw fell off. Like, it literally unhinged itself from his face and dropped to the ground, lower set of teeth included. Leaving me looking at a bloodied mass of teeth and saliva. The tongue hung out of his mouth and his nose became completely bloodied and broken. His skin turned paler than milk and his eyes went completely white. Numerous wounds opened up all over his body, oozing blood.

I screamed. I didn't even move. I simply stood there screaming my head off for five minutes straight. Not-colt seemed a little confused my this reaction, but with his decaying flesh and decapitated body, I simply couldn't care less about his feelings.

The things lumbered towards me, running in a funny way because its legs seemed to be broken. If the world were ever hit by a zombie apocalypse, Not-Colt would probably have been a victim. It swiped at me with its hands and I could feel the disgusting nails take the skin off my cheek. I yelled again and swung my axe at him, but he ducked it efficiently. For a half-dead corpse, the thing was sure a good fighter.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" I screamed as the thing got down on all four and started nibbling my leg. I swung down with my axe, but it yanked my leg out from under me and I lost my balance and fell backwards.

My head hit the ground with a nauseating sound and I saw stars in my vision. I could feel my head go numb, but currently, I had other priorities. I looked down to see my shoe off and Not-Colt-Zombie-Apocalypse-Survivor-Thing gnawing at my toes.

I screamed again, yanking my foot back. I gripped my axe tightly and swung it with all my force. The blade found its mark in the thing's head, and I pulled it out once more. I swung again, this time hitting the neck. The thing collapsed, bleeding even more than before. I raised my axe for the third time, and this time when I brought it down, I made sure to severe the head.

The disgusting jaw-less head rolled away and the body fell back. I turned away, not wanting to see the face of that thing anymore. I sank to my knees, breathing hard. My little toe's nail had been bitten off, but strangely, I didn't feel that much pain.

"Nick?"

I looked up. In front of me stood none other than Not-Colt, reverted back to his original Colt-like form.

I freaked.

I mean, can you blame me? I'd just killed the thing and now we were back to square One. I yelled like a madman and charged Not-Colt, swinging my axe like crazy. Fear spread across Not-Colt's face as he desperately tried to dodge my swings. "What THE HELL!?" he yelled.

"DIE STUPID NOT-COLT! DIE!" I yelled, swinging the axe harder than ever. Not-Colt ducked another swing, but this time, he grabbed my hand, and the axe scuttered out of my grip. Now without a weapon, I went for classic fist-fighting, but Not-Colt grabbed both my arms and held them tightly.

"What the hell is up with you!?" he yelled. Wait a minute…

I looked down at his feet. They were normal. This was the real Colt, not Not-Colt. I looked back up with wide eyes. "YOU HAVE NORMAL FEET!" My voice came out a lot louder than I'd expected. Colt looked beyond bewildered. "Last I checked, yeah!" He exclaimed, letting go of me.

"Well Don't you dare blame me because I just fought a mutt that looked exactly like you but had backwards feet and then it became all corpse-y and decayed and disgusting and-" the rest of my sentence was utter nonsense. I didn't want to admit it, but the attack had shaken me up. I was shiverin in my spot, and I could hear my teeth chatter. I was muttering unintelligible things.

Colt stepped forward and took me into a hug. His embrace reminded me so much of Flint. The same brotherly feeling. He patted my back. "Shh... its okay, whatever it was is gone now... just calm down..." He soothed. I nodded, trying to get my racing heart to calm down. Colt patted my head, and froze.

"Nick, your head's bleeding." His voice was shaking. I stepped away from him. "What?" I asked. His eyes were wide and fear-filled. "Nick your head is bleeding big-time..." I reached up and felt the back of my head. As I brought my hand back, I found it covered in thick, red blood. I looked at Colt, my eyes wide and my hands shaking. "I can't feel anything."

"Nick just-" I cut him off. " WHY CAN'T I FEEL ANYTHING!?" I yelled. I was vaguely aware of Colt saying something, but I was panicking. Darkness has started to cloud my vision. I wasn't dying, but I was falling into the deep oblivion of unconciousness. My knees buckled and I fell. Colt managed to catch me, and he held my head, screaming something. I was oblivious to everything. "I can't fell anything..." I said, my voice weak and broken.

"Nick, just calm down I'll patch you up!" Colt said. He slapped my face to try and keep me awake. I was aware of him yelling at me to stay awake, but I was already drifting into unconsciousness.

The darkness of sleep was almost welcoming.

 **Ruben Van der Valt(18)-D8 Male:**

I lay as still as I could, poised on all fours, waiting for the correct opportunity. I fingered the knife I held, running a finger over the edge. I just had to...

I leapt out from my hiding place and stabbed the squirell in its tail. Bingo! I'd been afraid I'd kill it in one go, but I'd hit the tail. Now was time to have some fun with my hunt...

The squirrel writher in my hands, and I chuckled. Seeing it in pain was so... ravishing. It made me giddy. I honestly couldn't wait to do this to another tribute...

I took the knife and poked the squirell's eye, twisting it inside the socket. The animal burst into squeals, and I laughed. Gods, this was so much fun! I did the same with the other eye, and by now, I had the blood flowing down my arms. I took time to cut up the thing in many different designs, painting its body with blood. Once I was satisfied it couldn't serve my pleasure any more, I threw it on the ground and stomped on its head, squishing it under my foot.

I wasn't about to eat the head, but the body was still fine. I bent down to pick up the carcass, when a sound stopped me. Quickly, I hid behind one of the huge piles of rubble that littered this part of the ruined city.

Voices. That's what I'd heard. Voices that were getting louder. I listened closely. A female and a male... I peered out to see who they were, and saw them walking into the open mere twenty feet away from me. My heart leapt into my throat in joy.

Anna Austen and Kai Daniels.

Well, I couldn't care less for the latter, but I had my Ice Princess! Oh, I hadn't known the Gamemakers would give me my entertainment on such a platter! I almost ran forward to her, but stopped. No, I couldn't do this while Kai was around. I wasn't afraid of him, but I wanted no one to get in the way of my enjoyment. I was going to enjoy killing Ice Princess to my heart's content.

I stepped back behind the pile and simply listened to the two. Well, I had to wait, but I could see what these two were up to in the meantime.

Anna leaned Kai against a tree. She seemed to be crying. I internally laughed. Her tears now seemed like nothing compared to what I'd make her shed. I looked at Kai's arm and smirked. Well, now that was interesting...

Kai's arm was bloodied and burnt. The burn seemed to have healed, but the blood was still fresh. Even Anna's arms were cut up very badly. I paused for a moment, wondering what could have caused this. Eh, I didn't care. Seeing them in pain was enough.

Anna buried her face in her hands. "It's all my fault..." she said. Kai gently pried her hands away from her face and gave her a firm look. "None of this is your fault. The glass rain was the Gamemakers, and I told you already. I don't regret what I did." He said.

Anna shook her head. "You may not regret it Kai, but your arm's in this state now because of me. And now, we're separated from the others, and we're both injured and I just don't know what to do!" She cried, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Hey come here." Kai said, so soft that I almost couldn't hear it. After a moment's hesitation, Anna obeyed and leaned into Kai, who wrapped his good arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, holding his other, injured hand in hers.

Gods, what was up with those two? Why was he comforting her!? This was the Hunger Games! Not some make-new-friends show. However, my attention was drawn away fom the pair from Four by a parachute which landed near my feet. I grinned. I knew the Capitol would like bloodthirsty tributes.

I bent down and picked it up. I opened the thing to see an assortment of at least a dozen knives lying inside. I smirked as I read the note that came with it.

 _Give me a good show._

 _-Tony_

Oh he wanted a good show? I'd give him one alright. Ice Princess had better watch out. Because I was coming to thaw her.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Yeah, I know. I lied. I wasn't going to write, but then, I needed some break, and I decided to write this. However, after this, there probably won't be anything until 16th. Like 99% won't be there.**

 **Also, so sorry for the lack of deaths, but trust me, I'm building it up. To clarify, Nick isn't dead, she's simply passed out. And I promise more deaths in the next chapter! ;)**

 **And, lemme just say, the plot of the story also kinda influences the Games. Kinda. You'll see. But yeah.**

 **Thirdly. Do you guys think I should write a sequel? I mean, I have the plot and stuff though out, but I wanted to know your opinion. Tell me what you think! :) And tell me what y'all thought of the chapter! And if anyone has any suggestions, send em my way! I love hearing how I can improve! :D**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nova**

 **Regina Anna**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

 **Ruben**

 **Until next time then...**


	32. Day Four: Part One

**Day Four: Part One**

 **Anna Austen(17)-D4 Female** :

"Do you have to go? It's not safe, especially not with that arm of yours…" I complained for the hundredth time. Kai smiled at me. "Anna, we'll starve without food. Sitting here in these ruins isn't going to get us food. I have to go hunt. And honestly speaking, I trust myself to bring back better hunt than you."

I put a hand on my chest, looking mockingly offended. I swatted Kai's arm, the good one. He'd been severely injured on his left arm, but the arm he fought with, his right one, it was still fine. However, his left arm was still pretty injured.

The flesh had healed from the burn, but the glass rain had done a lot of damage. My own arms were scarred, but I'd dug out the shards. However, with Kai, everytime I tried to pull out a shard, it would cause so much pain to the recently healed skin of the burn, Kai would just about pass out. I'd given up after a while.

"We have sponsors… we can get food from them…" I suggested in a weak protest. Kai laughed. "Anna, no one's going to sponsor us with food now. Into the Games, when they know we can hunt? That's not gonna happen. And no one'll pass up some action, now will they?" He patted my arm and stood up, hefting his sword. "Relax. I'll be fine. I'll be back as fast as I can, okay?" he reassured me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen, but I watched as he made his way away from me.

I sighed and leaned back against a huge piece of a fallen roof. My mind wandered to my family. What would they be thinking? What would Thomas be thinking as he looked at his sister now, forced to watch little kids die in front of her? Forced to watch as she got separated from her friends.

Seeing Siobhan's face in the night was something I still couldn't get over. I couldn't believe she was dead! Sure, she wasn't the strongest of the careers, but she was extremely strong. She'd been something of a glue, keeping the careers together when there was a crack. And now, Siobhan was dead and the careers were separated.

I wondered what had become of Almiro and Lawson. Lawson never had many interactions with me, but he held my respect. He may have been a manipulative and cold career, but he'd always been polite with me. And Almiro… in him, I saw Thomas. He had a heart too noble for a career. I knew for a fact killing for him wouldn't be easy. I almost laughed,

I thought that as though killing for me would be easy. When I'd seen Kai kill that boy from Six; I'd never thought I'd see something worse again. And yet, when the glass rain separated us, I was convinced we were going to die. We'd barely managed to get under a piece of some ruined cottage, and stayed there under the rain ceased. Those moments had been the most painful and fear-filled.

A sound of the rustling of leaves behind me snapped my attention back to reality. I sat up and slowly looked around. "Kai?" I asked, my voice tentative. I stood up and dusted my pants. Could Kai really be back so early? I didn't think it was possible for someone to hunt that quickly.

All my thoughts were wiped clear from my mind as I felt someone step up from behind me. Before I could turn to see who it was, I felt the cool edge of a knife digging into the skin of my throat. I felt someone's hot breath in my ear.

"Hello Ice Princess…"

My breath stopped in my throat. No… this couldn't be… how could he find me like this?

I was frozen from fear. That night in the Training Centre, Ruben had been somewhat bound by the rules of the Capitol. But in here, he could do whatever he felt like. He stood so much taller than me, and with his well-muscled arms and built body, he overpowered me ten times over. I could feel my heart beating so fast, I'd actually not be surprised if it jumped out of its ribcage.

Ruben grabbed my arms from behind, pressing down on the cuts made by the shards. I let out a small squeak, but didn't say much. He roughly turned me so that I faced him. His face was ere centimeters from mine, and I could see every drop of insanity in his eyes. This was one seriously crazy boy.

"Ruben… what do you want? What have I ever done to you?" I asked, my voice shaking. I was on the brink of crying. Never before had I seen death like this. It felt as though the entire atmostphere around me was holding its breath. Ruben grinned.

"You haven't done anything Ice Princess. I just want to hear the screams. And yours will be the loudest," he whispered. I shivered, and turned my head as he leaned further towards me. "Scream for me, Ice Princess. Scream…" he drew out the last word in a hiss, his lips brushing me ears. I'd never been so close to someone quite so manic. Being close to Kai gave me a feeling of comfort. Being close to Almiro or Thomas gave me a feeling of safety. Being close to Ruben gave me a feeling of death.

Apparently Ruben wasn't going to stop, and I hadn't expected him to, but the next thing I knew, he was pulling away from me at alarming speed. I felt as his hands gripped my hair and yanked it, tearing it from its roots. I screamed, and he laughed. He pulled me forward by my hair as I screamed as loudly as I could. I was screaming for Kai, but I knew it was hopeless. Pain spiraled out from my head; Ruben was yanking me with all his strength, which was a lot.

I felt him pull me up from the ground and I could see a white surface approaching. He smashed my face against the roof I'd been leaning against earlier, and I could almost hear the bone of my nose break. I screamed louder, now sobbing too. Blood flooded my nasal tracks and dripped down my chin. My entire head was afire with pain. All I saw was red. My nose was definitely broken, and I couldn't breathe, because if I tried so, all I inhaled was blood.

Ruben threw me onto the roof again, smashing the back of my head this time. I was screaming gibberish now. All I wanted was to get away from this maniac. If he wanted to end it, why was he taking so long!? I'd thought death was frightening. But torture was so much worse. Ruben took me by my hair again and dragged my face across the surface of the roof, smearing the white surface with my blood. I could feel my already broken nose be further broken, as the blood dripped onto my shirt. I could smell the coppery scent as it coursed through my nose.

"KAI! KAI! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME! LET ME GO!" I yelled, thrashing against Ruben. I might as well have been trying to smash a wall. I had no idea how Ruben was this strong, but he was. I tried to punch his face, and he simply gripped my hands in his huge ones. He pressed me onto the fallen piece of the Ruins, pinning my hands to either side of my face.

I was crying uncontrollably by now, screaming what couldn't even be identified as a language. I simply wanted to get away. Was it so wrong for me to wish to live? I didn't even have a weapon. Kai and I had no supplies and Kai had taken out only weapon with him. Ruben was hurting me beyond anything I'd ever felt before. The pain of the glass rain had been nothing. The fear of the glass rain had been nothing.

And the more I screamed and cried, the more Ruben laughed. He took out something sleek and shiny from his belt, and I felt the sting of metal digging into the skin of my neck. Ruben lowered the knife and sliced across my stomach. I could feel the blood splutter out as my screams became even louder. Why couldn't anyone hear me?

Ruben simply kept stabbing at me. Stabbing at my stomach, my shoulder, my arms. He raised the knife to my ear, and held the ear lobe. I tried pushing him away, but I was not only in a world of pain, but was also weak and dizzy from blood loss.

Ruben did the worst thing yet. He started slowly cutting through my ear lobe.

At this point, I couldn't scream any more. I couldn't scream any louder. My voice had stopped working. Even my tears had stopped. I simply stared ahead, not even being able to focus on this monster's face as he cut through the bottom of my ear. I was in too much pain to register anything. Everything around e was turning red. That's literally all I saw. Red flooded my vision. I was frozen with pain. The feeling was worse than anything I could've possibly felt. The feeling of defeat. The feeling of impending death.

Just as I heard someone calling my name, I let the pain engulf me.

 **Kyle Daniels(18)-D4 Male:**

If only I'd heard her screams earlier. By the time I'd heard them, I was way too far to find my way back easily. But I had dropped everything and immediately turned back, hoping and praying to any being above that I'd reach in time.

As I ran, Anna's screams only got louder. She wasn't even calling for anyone. She was simply screaming out of pure terror. What could it possibly be that was asking her scream like this? Before I knew it, I was yelling out Anna's name, telling her to hold on.

My feet thudded against the forest floor as I blindly ran towards the sound of her screams. All I knew was that I had to reach her. I couldn't let her die. Anna was quite possibly the only person here who cared about me. She'd been hurt so badly when I'd gotten injured. I could see true concern for me in her. And I wasn't about to let that go. I was going to return that.

Anna's screams grew louder, and I knew I was approaching her. My surrounding started becoming familiar, and I knew I was coming back to where I was.

Then, to my horror, Anna's screams stopped.

NO!

This couldn't be. I shut my eyes, expecting a cannon, but to my utter relief, noting came. I had to hurry. Anna didn't have much time.

Just as I burst back into the clearing where the cottage was, I could see Anna close her eyes. I froze up for a moment, taking in the hideous sight in front of me.

Anna wasn't even recognizable anymore. Her whole body was one writhing mass of blood. Blood oozed from everywhere, staining everything. Her ear was cut off from half-way, and her clothes were soaked in blood. Ruben Van der Valt leaned her against the roof, digging the knife into her flesh. And even worse, laughing while he did so.

In that moment, I knew only one emotion.

Anger.

I let out a guttural yell as I bounded forward. I took Ruben by surprise as I tackled him by the waist, sending us both sprawling on the ground. I hurriedly got up and slashed downward with my sword. Ruben rolled out of the way and kicked out my legs from beneath me.

I fell to the ground and my head hit the floor. My sword clattered out of my hands, but I wasn't about to go down. I would have to do this the old fashioned way.

Blinking stars out of my eyes, I sat up to see Ruben panting and leaning against his knees. I yelled again and brought my fist right to his face. It connected with his jaw and I heard the satisfying crunch of something breaking. Ruben staggered back, holding his mouth. As he took his hand off, I could see him bleeding.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" I yelled. Ruben sneered.

"Make me."

He leapt forward and shoved me back using his elbow. I hit a tree and fell to the ground. Ruben kicked out and his leg connected with my stomach. He yanked me back up by my collar and pulled me to the tree. Before I could do anything, he shoved me up against it on my injured arm.

Where the recently burnt and injured skin from the glass chafed against the hard and rough bark, pain floured up my whole body. I was yelling and thrashing against Ruben, but he had a good two inches on me and he wasn't as injured. But I was a career. I was Kai Daniels. Nobody beat me like this.

I brought up my good arm and punched Ruben in the stomach. I took his collar and smashed his face against the tree, but the next moment, he fell back, taking me with him. His body flattened me against the ground as we landed, the breath being knocked out of me by his sheer weight.

He turned and lay on top of me, sneering. I glared up at him, but not only was he much heavier than my underfed, injured self, but he was also holding me in a lock I couldn't get out of.

"Rot in hell." I spat in his direction. He snarled. "I'll enjoy this…" He said, slipping out a long, slender knife. Where had he gotten those from!? My eyes grew wider as he ran it along my jawline. I got ready to throw him off, but I was shocked into paralysis when he raised his knife just above my eye. He couldn't possibly…

Suddenly, Ruben gasped, coughing blood all over my face. His eyes in turn grew wide, as his face became pained. He retched, trying to get a breath, as I looked down at his chest.

From which stuck out the silver tip of a knife.

Ruben gasped again as the knife was drawn out, and I took this opportunity to throw him off of me. He stumbled on the ground and tried to keep himself on his knees as we both too in what had happened.

Anna stood over him, holding a bloody knife.

I couldn't even move as Anna ran forward, the look in her eyes ferocious and a little crazy. She screamed a high-pitched scream, but it wasn't girly. It was more animal-like than anything I'd ever heard from her. She threw herself onto Ruben, pinning him to the ground. Ruben tried throwing her off, but Anna was a wildcat.

And I simply stood there and watched, as Anna repeatedly drove the knife into Ruben's chest. His blood splattered all over her, but she simply kept screaming and stabbing him. She was unstable and dangerous, but more than anything, she was terrifying. Her knife found its target in Ruben's chest, neck and eventually, face. I couldn't even look at the bloodied mass in front of me that used to be the boy from Eight.

 _Boom._

Anna didn't stop. She simply kept stabbing him again and again, screaming things I couldn't even comprehend. Ruben wasn't even human anymore. He was a raw mass of torn flesh and gushing blood.

I had to step in. Ruben was dead, and if I didn't do anything, Anna would go completely crazy.

"Anna stop!" I yelled, grabbing her shoulders. I wrenched her off of his corpse and pulled her away. She fought me like crazy, but I could see the transition. She was slowly coming to her senses. Now, instead of screaming, she was bawling. She turned around and pressed her face into my shirt.

I wrapped my arms around her, bot currently caring for my burns. I turned my face away as the hovercraft descended over Ruben's body, making Anna cry harder. I simply let her sob as I held her.

 **The Previous Night:**

 **Rayne Hale- Assistant Gamemaker to Thaddeus Sheen:**

"You mentors are CRAZY!" Thaddeus yelled as Stark and Kimi walked in through the door of the room the two friends waited in. Thaddeus was on his feet and pacing the floor. Rayne had seen Thaddeus' temper flare up before, and this was nothing new. Thaddeus may have been a stoic guy, but many a times, anger got the best of him.

Rayne suppressed a laugh. Thaddeus' reason for anger, and the bewilderment it caused in Kimi and Stark was hilarious. Thaddeus threw his hand in the air as he walked up to Kimi. "Shaunya tired to kiss me FIVE TIMES! And Dellora asked me to coffee WITH A KNIFE TO MY THROAT! That's not even HUMAN!" He yelled. Kimi flinched.

"And… I'm supposed to care because….?" She asked, raising her eyebrow at Thaddeus. The young man huffed. "All you victors are baffling." He complained, slumping down on the sofa. Kimi laughed what could be the world-record setter for most-sarcastic-laugh ever. "So says the Victor of the Forty-eigth Hunger Games..." she muttered. Thaddeus glared at her. Rayne had seen some glares in her time, but with Thaddeus' piercing green-grey eyes, his glares were enough to make anyone cry for their mommy.

"Right!" She spoke up, having finally had enough. Left to themselves, Thaddeus and Kimi would be glaribg at each other the whole day. Stark seemed to detached to be worried much. Kimi smirked and sat down, Stark following suit. Thaddeus sighed and sat firward, his fingers knitting themseles together.

"Do you know anything you haven't told us about Kay Deer's death?" He asked. _Real subtle, Thaddy, real subtle_ , Rayne just about said it out loud. Kimi raised her eyebrow again. "Um, Kay's dead." She deadpanned. Thaddeus huffed.

"Wow, jeez we never would've figured that bit out!" He said, sarcasm dripping from him words. Kimi and Stark simply stared at them with blank expressions. Thaddeus looked at Rayne, exasperated. Rayne shrugged.

"Alright, so you want the whole truth, and then you'll help us? I'm guessing?" Thaddeus asked. Stark simply blinked, and Kimi sat back and shrugged. Thaddeus nodded. "Well, as you know, there have been talks about rebellion. Tha Capitol needs a perfect weapon. By the work of Bruce Heathers, they now have that weapon. It's a virus called the Parasite."

"But you probably don't care about that." He continued, " However, the Parasite is kept in a safe. The combination to the safe is something only the Head Gamemaker and the President know. Bruce didn't even keep a digital or handwritten record for the sake of confidentiality. However, the night he was telling the code to the President, Kay overheard them."

Rayne could almost see the gears in Kimi and Stark's minds turn as they put the equation togther. Kimi's eyes widened. "Oh my god... You killed Kay..." she breathed. Rayne looked away. Thaddeus glared right at her. "President Leor and Heathers killed her." He said simply. Kimi shot to her feet. "WELL YOU WORK FOR THEM!" She exclaimed. Thaddeus got to his feet as well, getting in her face. He stood a good five inches taller than her, but she made up with her attitude.

"Really? Look me in the eye and tell me you think I work for them." Thaddeus said. Kimi's jaw dropped and Rayne whipped her head around. What was Thaddeus saying!? Was this his way of getting information? Telling her he didn't work with the Capitol!? And why didn't Rayne know of this?

Thaddeus turned to Stark who seemed to be shocked into silence. His gaze turned slightly softer. "Stark, you were the last person to see her up close. Did she say anything?" Thaddus sighed again. "We suspect someone else may have been listening in with her."

Stark remained silent. Thaddeus rubbed his orehead, what he always did when he wad nervous. "Look at me Stark. If the Capitol finds out before me, they'll kill the person and unleash the virus. I can stop the virus if you help me... please..." Rayne had never seen her friend begging like this. Stark took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm his nerves.

"Well, before she died, Kay wrote D-I-I on the floor with her blood, the second I a little further from the D-I. That's all. She was dead before she could tell me anything..." he managed. Thaddeus stood up.

"D I I? What could that mean? Was she trying to tell us the code? No, Kay's not that stupid. Was it a name? Of a mentor? Dane was in his room, Dellora was at the feast and I can't think of anyone else from D-"

"What iif it stands for District?" Kimi intterupted him. Thaddeus turned to look at her, his eyes wide. "Thats's it!" He looked at Rayne. "Rayne, now we only have to find which tributes were out of their rooms, and we can narrow it down from there!" Thaddeus said. He turned to go, when Kimi grabbed his hand and stopped him. As good as Thaddeus' plan sounded Rayne knew it would take a while before they found the person.

"What will you do once you know who they are?" Kimi asked. Rayne honestly wanted to know the same. Thaddeus grinned.

"I'm gonna stop the Parasite..."

~.~.~.

 **A/N: Yeah, I should just stop putting hiatuses. I always end up updating. Oh well hehe. Hope you guys liked this chapter! There was death and action, so I hope it wad good! Tell me what you thought! :)**

 **AND JEEZ 375 REVIEWS OMG YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST EVAAAAA!**

 **OOOOH OH OH OH! AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, GO CHECK OUT GLASS GLADE BY READER CASTELLAN AND GO SUBMIT CHO' SELF SOME AWESOME TRIBUTES BECAUSE READER IS AWESOME!**

 **So yeah, tell me what you thought and I hope I'm doing well! Oh and what did y'all think of the Ruben-Anna-Kai showdown? And what of Thaddeus' little... ehhh... whatever you wanna call it...?**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Ruben Van der Valt: Ruben ah Ruben. Muh lit** **tle (not so little) psycho. You were honestly an incredible antagonist to write for... you were just the psycho we needed to make things interesting. Ruben's votes were off the charts... both times. People reallly really wanted him to stay alive and people really really wanted him dead. I hoped this was justified. Sorry WGGTD1916, but I hope I did him justice.**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Eva**  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nova**

 **Regina Anna**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	33. Day Four: Part Two

**Day Four: Part Two**

 **Colt Marshal(17)-D10 Male:**

Giving Nick Noelle medicine was quite possibly one of the biggest mistakes I'd ever committed. I'd managed to wrap up the wound on her head, and within a few minutes, a parachute had descended, with the medicine. It'd been hard, but I'd managed to have her swallow the pills, which I'd assumed were painkillers. Boy, now do I wish I hadn't gone through all that effort.

"Why is the flower growling at me?" Nick asked, bending down low next to what looked like a harmless daisy in the field. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Nick, the flower isn't growling at you. You're hallucinating from whatever bullshit painkiller they sent." I tried explaining for the umpteenth time. Nick gave me a dazed grin. "Oh no, I tell you! The flower's growling at me! Arr!" She punched the poor little daisy, and sat back and grinned wider. "BEAT THAT SUCKER!" she yelled at the flower.

"Jesus…" I sighed. This had been going on for quite some time. Nick was woozy and was acting even crazier than usual, which for her, was pretty crazy. She'd covered trying to get rocks to wave hello to her, screaming for pumpkins, and now demolishing the poor little daisy.

Suddenly, she grabbed me by my shoulders and yanked me up, much to my surprise. "Holy-" I exclaimed, as she looked at me with wide eyes. "THE GIRAFFE! I NEED TO TALK TO THE GIRAFFE!" She yelled, her face filled with anxiety and worry.

"Oh my god…" I muttered. I'd been bearing the whole thing but this was ridiculous. Whatever medicine they'd sent must have been hella screwed up if it made Nick hallucinate to this extent. I mean, seriously? Talking to giraffes?

Well, I wasn't about to sit around doing nothing as my ally tried to find a giraffe to converse with. I'd had enough.

"Right, that's enough from you." I extricated Nick's arm from my shoulders so now I was holding hers instead. I looked her in the eye and hoped I sounded stern, and not like I was scolding a dazed-giraffe-seeking girl. "You. Sit." I ordered the way I'd order a puppy.

To my utter delight and pleasure, Nick obeyed. She dutifully plopped down on the ground. Quite literally, because she sat down with her legs spread out in front of her and her hands resting on the ground between her legs. She looked up at me with big grey eyes, apparently awaiting her next order. I smiled. "Good girl. Now, sleep." I told her. She gave me a disappointed look.

"But what about the giraffe?" She asked, sounding like a whiny two-year-old. I couldn't help but laugh. Here we were in the Games, and Nick wanted to talk to a giraffe. This sitatiion was so hilarious it momentarily made me forget what I was in. "Yeah, I'll call the giraffe here while you sleep. Now, go to sleep, or I'll make you sleep, and that's not gonna be by singing some lullaby."

She grinned widely as though I hadn't just threatened her. She curled up literally on the spot she'd been sitting on and closed her eyes. As I watched in awe, her breathing slowed, and before I knew it, she was asleep.

I sat down next to her, leaning against a boulder. So far we'd only found shelter in ruins. I made myself as comfortable as someone could get leaning against a giant rock, and moved Nick's head so it lay on a small patch of grass. I smiled down at her.

I still had a little taking in our alliance. We'd been thrown together at the bloodbath, and strangely, though I'd initially thought this would never work out, Nick had started to grow on me. She treated me like her elder brother, and I could now guess what Everett and Ava felt like when I did some mischievous act. Sure, I was still worried for Nova. Everyday we'd scour the arena. We hadn't even thought about trying something else. All we'd do was look for Nova. But Nick was as good a temporary ally as I could hope for.

God knows how long had passed before I heard footsteps somewhere off to my left. Instantly, my eyes, which had been dropping shut, were wide open. I considered waking Nick, but in his painkiller-induced-crazy state, she'd do more harm than good. I carefully slid out a knife from my pack and held it up, poised for throwing. "Who is it?" I asked cautiously, then immediately chided myself. Yeah, great job, Colt. Now you just declared your position to the enemy. Just brilliant.

The footsteps were accompanied by a rustling of leaves, as the person stepped out of the forest lining. I could swear as I looked at them, my heart literally stopped.

Sweaty, panting, bloodied, Nova stood before me, the biggest smile on her face.

Time seemed to pretty much slow down around me. I couldn't get myself to breathe. How was this possible!? After four days of searching she simply came to us? I stood up tentatively, still holding out my knife in case of any danger.

"Nova…?" I asked, my voice an octave higher than usual. Nova's face broke into a bigger grin and she bounded towards me. She tackled me into a hug, throwing her arms around me waist. "Colt!" She cried, just about crushing my ribs in her hug. I bent down to her level and hugged her tighter. I buried my face in her hair and rubbed the back of her head.

"Oh my god… Oh my god… I can't believe…" She stuttered. I pulled away and laughed, tears stinging my eyes. "Gods, I've been looking EVERYWHERE for you!" I exclaimed. Nova really was crying, but she hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"I was just running away from a mutt back there and I thought I heard talking. I thought I'd also heard _your_ voice, so I decided to look into it. Boy, am I glad I did." She said, adding a laugh. I couldn't help but join in. "Man, this has to be the best thing that has happened to me since the start of the Games…" Nova mumbled.

"Wait, did you say mutt? What happened? And why're you bleeding?" I asked, standing up. She answered me as I led her over to the boulder against which I'd been previously leaning. "Long story. Can you help with all these cuts? Like a painkiller or something?" She asked as we sat down.

I busted out laughing. I couldn't even help it. To think I'd be stupid enough to voluntarily give someone else the painkiller which'd made Nick want to fight daisies and talk to giraffes was so bizarre. Nova gave me a funny look. "Um, what?" she asked. I shook my head, still laughing.

"Nothing. It's just that you do NOT want to have our painkillers. After seeing the effect they had on Nick, I'm not sure I should entrust another human's life to those things again." I said. Nova's eyes widened as though she'd only just noticed Nick. Which was honestly pretty hard, since Nick was currently sprawled out spread-eagle style on the ground. Nova gave me another what-the-heck-is-this look, and I shrugged.

"Long story. For now, let's get you patched up, yeah?" I asked, holding out our bandages.

And so I worked. Actually, if I'm being completely honest with myself, Nova did pretty much everything. I only wrapped the bandages on her right arm because her left arm was already bandaged and she needed to rest it. As I worked, the two of us exchanged our stories. I told her about how Nick had saved me, our misadventures since then, and even Nick's little episode of the painkillers.

Nova told me how she'd allied with Regina Anna after saving her life, and how the little twerp had run away when they'd been attacked. I felt a sudden anger towards the girl from One. If there was one thing I hated, it was disloyalty. There was never any excuse for betraying an ally. Nova also told me about her discovery of the arena.

"Wait, what? Like last year? You positive?" I asked, a feeling of dread settling on me. If that was true, we only had a handful of days before the arena was destroyed completely. Nova nodded grimly. "I'm absolute-"

"What the hell is going on here?" A voice cut her off. I looked to the side to see Nick sitting up, rubbing her eyes furiously. She stopped and looked at me, then at Nova, then at me, and she raised her eyebrows. "Okay. Explanation, now." She demanded.

I must've really lost track of the time. As I looked around me, I realized the sky had transitioned into a light orange, the early peeks of sunset being shown. I looked back at Nick, who was currently sitting cross-legged across from me and huffing.

"What, you finally talked to you giraffe?" I asked, letting out a laugh. Nick only seemed more bewildered by my statement. I shook my head. "Long story short, you got painkillers from sponsors, and they made you hallucinate and you were talking utter nonsense. Then you fell asleep on the ground."

Nick lost interest in the answer half-way through I'd said it. If there was any award for zero focus, this girl would have it. She was already looking at Nova with narrowed eyes. Then she looked at me. She sighed. "Well, this is awkward." She deadpanned.

As my slow brain comprehended what she'd said, my eyes widened. I gulped. "Yeah, it is…" I managed.

Nova was here. I'd found my ally. And our alliance was only temporary until I found her. Which meant now, my alliance with Nick was off.

I didn't know how to take that. I mean, I had grown to consider Nick as something of a friend, but Nova was my district partner. I couldn't leave her. We could form a three-way alliance, but I knew it wouldn't work out. And if I was being completely truthful, I myself was the one who didn't want it. I didn't want anyone else in the District Ten alliance. But as I thought to the moments I'd had with Nick, guilt crushed me for thinking like that.

However, as I snapped out of my reverie, I could see Nick had already picked up her axe. She set her lips in a firm line. "You've found your ally." She said. I nodded. "Yes I have."

"And I'm pretty fine."

"Yes, you are."

"We both know what this means." Nick said, the acceptance clear in her voice. I opened my mouth to say something, but Nick stopped me with a chuckle devoid of humor. "No, don't. Don't say something really emotional and tell me to stay back, because I knew that's not what you want. I should have known since the moment this alliance was formed. It was never really an alliance. It was you looking for Nova, hey there, haven't met before, and me looking for a way to find my useless butt further into the Games. I should have figured that you reminding me of my brother didn't make you my brother." She said. She picked up one backpack, and smirked."Well, I'll be needing some supplies, yes?" she said.

I somehow couldn't get myself to move as I watched her stand and heft her supplies. Nova seemed really confused but Nick simply grinned at her. Then she turned to me and did her two-finger salute. "Adios." She said.

She turned on her heel and started walking away.

I was aware of Nova asking me what was going on, but right now, the only thing on my mind was the fact that I knew I'd made a mistake by letting Nick go. And the only thing I really paid attention to was her retreating form.

 **Evangeline Scott(12)-D12 Female:**

"Avena, honestly, I think we all need a break right about now…" Blake put in meekly. Avena turned to him sharply and glared at him. "Shut you face Twelve. You wanna starve? No? Then we have to hunt." She stated. I groaned.

Avena obsession with hunting was tiring. As I walked along the gravel path, I thought about the day. A smile made its way onto my lips. It was a very special day for me.

Suddenly, I felt Blake take my hand and pull me back. I looked up at him as he bent down to my eye-level and smiled. "Happy birthday." He whispered.

My eyes widened. I hadn't even expected him to know, let alone wish me! My jaw fell open and I simply stared at him, unable to comprehend what he'd just said. He laughed. "Welcome to the teens…" he said in a 'mysterious' voice. I felt a small, surprised laugh escape me.

"OI! Hurry up back there!" Avena called out. Blake grinned and sighed. "Coming!" He yelled back. I was still staring at him. "How…?" I asked. Blake shrugged. "Because I can read your mind!" he said with a flourish of his hand. At my bewildered expression, he laughed again. "You talk in your sleep. A lot." He justified.

I felt my cheeks burn red as we started off after Avena. I felt Blake go ahead of me, but I caught up to him and laced my fingers through his. I didn't care how childish this was. Blake had been the first and only one to wish me on my birthday, and I wasn't about to forget that. He looked at me with a slightly surprised expression, but I simply smiled at him.

I knew Blake wasn't a jerk. Sure, sometimes he could be a little cold and distant. Sometimes I'd even felt he was manipulating the two of us for his benefit. But then there were times like these, when he simply didn't leave any complaint for me to make. He was a very good district partner. Sure, he wasn't the most perfect, but he was good.

As we entered the forest lining, I could feel the temperature rise by a couple of degrees. No, scratch that, I could feel it rise by a couple of tens of degrees. As Avena walked further ahead, Blake stopped her. "Avena, why the hell is it getting so hot in here?" he asked, wiping a drop of sweat off his brow. I expected Avena to make some snarky remark, but she looked thoughtful.

"I don't know. There's no reason for this place to be so hot." She declared. Blake bit his lower lip. "Avena, maybe we should get out of here. I mean, this place gives me the heebajeebies. And its getting hotter, which can't be a good sign. I say we leave." He said. Avena, for the first time in quite possible forever, nodded. Blake looked slightly surprised, but nodded again all the same.

"We should leave, you're right. We'll go hunt somewhere else." Avena said, making her way back to us.

Suddenly, I felt the ground underneath me move. It wasn't the rumbling of the earthquake. No, this was different. It felt as though the ground underneath me had come alive. I looked down and screamed.

Dozens of vines were wrapping themselves around my ankles. I stood petrified in fear as the vines yanked me off my feet and started dragging me towards the back.

"HELP ME!" I screamed. Avena joined in with my screaming and ran forward, trying to cut at the vines with her knife. "Eva hold on!" I heard Blake's voice as he joined her.

The vines not only curled themselves around my legs, but they also slithered up my body, cocooning it. I looked back as my allies tried to cut the bonds. What I saw made me want to scream louder, which wasn't possible.

There stood the largest carnivorous plant I'd ever seen. The whole thing was twice the size of Blake, and Bake was pretty tall. The vines shot out from its base, and wrapped around my feet, pulling me into it. I was its prey.

"HELP!" I screamed again. However, my allies were facing troubles of their own. The vines seemed to have a life of their own. They wrapped themselves around Avena and Blake's arms and yanked them back whenever they tried to cut a vine. I reached down and started pulling at the vines, trying to free myself. In my panic, I realized one ore horrifying fact.

The vines weren't just wrapping themselves around me. They were _merging_ with my very body. They'd joined themselves to my skin, and everytime I tried to pry one of them off, I'd take off a layer of skin with it.

My screams escalated to sounds of pure madness. I was yanking and pulling at the vines like crazy, not caring whether or not I took off any skin. I could feel Avena and Blake trying to slash through the vines behind me, but all I could see was the giant carnivorous plant that loomed ahead of me.

"EVA!" Avena cried, leaping forward and grabbing hold of my shoulders. She tried to pull me away manually, but obviously that wouldn't work. The vines wrapped themselves around her ankle and pulled her off balance. Her head hit the ground and she started swaying as she tried to get up.

Blake too tried to catch hold of me, but right now, I was panicking. I was in a desperate battle against something invincible, and all I wanted to do was survive. The vines Blake cut with his knife were quickly replaced my more taking their place.

By now, the vines had just about cocooned my whole body. My arms were pressed to my side as I felt them wrap around my neck and fuse with the skin. I was sobbing, crying and screaming. I was a mess, but I didn't care. I just wanted to live.

As a final pull of the vines pulled me completely out of Blake's reach, I let out one last cry of helplessness. As the huge plant opened up to swallow me, I felt the vines wrap themselves around my face. I felt my air supply being cut off, and the only thing I was aware of was my death rapidly approaching, and my allies screaming my name.

The last things to go through my mind were my parent's faces.

And then, nothing.

 **Dwayne McCane(16)-D11 Male:**

 _Boom_.

I sat bolt upright. Someone else had just died. Lisette buried her face in her hands. I'd seen her do this every time a cannon went off. She was obviously worried about someone, and simply wouldn't come out with it.

The night had just started settling in, and we were feeding ourselves on the rationed meat of the squirrel Lisette had managed to catch a few days ago. I had no idea how she'd done it, but she'd told me he'd had help. Then she'd clammed up about it.

My leg was slightly better from the previous days. I'd gotten one medicine for the wound, but it was slow. Obviously the two of us were lacking in the sponsor department, because we'd only gotten the not-quite-so-effective medicine for my leg until now. I sighed. Well, it wasn't as though something was going to change that. And I definitely wasn't going out of y way to win any sponsors either.

I couldn't sleep without Gigabyte's face flashing in front of my eyes. The look in her green eyes when she'd spoken her last words. The stench of her blood mingled with mine. I'd never thought I'd become a killer. And a torturer at that. I hadn't given Gigabyte an easy death, and even I knew it.

But these Games were pushing me beyond my limit. When I'd seen Otto and April die, I'd been completely shattered. Then Gigabyte had attacked us, and I'd thought for a moment she'd kill both Lisette and I. I couldn't see another ally die. I simply couldn't. If Lisette died on me, I knew for a fact I'd go insane.

As if she'd heard my thoughts, Lisette scooted over to where I leaned against a tree trunk. She gently leaned her head against my shoulder and exhaled. I reached up and patted her hair. She was so different from April, yet so similar. April had been a usually docile girl with a huge temper. Lisette was a sweet and happy kid.

And yet, both of them held the same defiance. They both wanted to be seen more than scared little girls. Of the two, April had been fiercer, but Lisette wss sharper.

"Who do you think died today?" She asked me, her voice already sounding slightly soft. My face fell. "Well, I guess we'll find out right now, won't we?" I said as I waited for the anthem to start playing. There had been two deaths today. Two more children gone. Two more families destroyed.

When the first face appeared in the sky, I literally lost my breath. Who in the world could take on RUBEN and win!? It had probably been one of those career boys, or maybe even that huge guy from Seven. Only they could match him in strength. As sorry as I tried to feel for him, pity simply wouldn't come.

Pity cam very easily for the next face. Evangeline Scott was too young. Her face reminded me way too much of Lisette's. The utterly innocent smile on her face as it was being shown in the sky made my hair stand on end. How could anyone live with themselves after hurting a child like her?

As the anthem and them faces faded out, I looked at Lisette. She let out a small sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by me. She sounded... relieved.

"Lisette? You're worried about someone, aren't you? Everytime there's a cannon you tense up. Everytime they show the faces in the sky you're searching for someone, and you're relieved when it doesn't come." I confronted her. She shook her head. Well, I wasn't about to give up.

"Lisette, I'm your ally. You can trust me. Tell me, who is it? Who is it other than us whom you want to see alive so much?" I asked in the most comforting voice I could find. She sighed.

She didn't reply for so long, I was about to prompt her again when she finally said "Lawson."

I couldn't have been more susprised. "What!?" I exclaimed. Why in the name of God did Lissy care about that monster from Two? I gave her an astonished look. She sighed again.

"I helped fix his arm in the Training centre, and he saved me in the bloodbath. And then, later on, he was the one who gave me that squirell. He's been helping me Dwayne, and even though its crazy, I care about him. I don't want him to die. If neither of us win, I want it to be him."

"Lissy, you know he could just be manipulating you, right?" I prodded. I couldn't believe this. Lissy had asked a career for FOOD!? What was going on!? Lisette shook her head adamantly.

"He has no reason Dwayne. It's not like I'm of much use to him. And he could've killed me so many times. But he didn't. In a weird way, the way he looks out for me reminds me of Jace." She said. When I gave her a confused look, she quickly added "My elder brother."

I didn't really know what to say. I mean, Law had hax ample opportunities to kill Lissy. She'd been as weak as a twig when she'd briught back that squirell. He could've killed hdr then. But somehow, despite being the most despicable career in this year's lot, he was starting to sound more human.

I smiled and pulled Lissy closer again. She rested her head on my chest and I smiled. "You remind me of Jace too..." Lissy's voice was really soft. She sounded as though she was drifting off to sleep already.

"Goodnight Lissy." I said. She tried to say something, but she was already fast asleep. I smiled and leaned my head back against the tree. So many innocent children here. I couldn't get over the fact that all of them, including Lissy would have to die in order for me to get home.

 **~.~.~.**

 **A/N: Yeah, I'll just throw the hiatus away. Like, why do I try? Normal people during a hiatus stop updating. Me during a freaking hiatus updates more often. Jeez. But I can't stay away from writing, so NO REGRETS HAHAHAHAHA.**

 **Many of you may be surprised to know that the whole Giraffe thing with Nick was inspired by something that happened to me in real life. I'd had high fever, and due to the high fever, I'd staryed demanding a meeting with a giraffe. The things medicines can to do you...**

 **And D10 IS UNITED! What do y'all think? And what of Dwayne getting to know of Lawson and Lissy? Tell me what you thought! Your opinion matters so much for me.. :")**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Evangeline Scott: Aw, man, I felt terrible while writing this. Eva was a sweet little child, too innocent for the Games. She was the glue of the alliance, and writing about her was a lot of fun. I really hope I did you justice. I'm so so so sorry for killing her, but t was her time to go. RIP Eva...**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**  
 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nick**

 **Regina Anna**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	34. Day Five: Part One

**Day Five:**

 **Part One:**

 **Absalom Sawyer(18)- D7 Male:**

I tore at the piece of beef with my teeth, the dryness doing nothing to help my stomach. Beside me, Frankie groaned. "This tastes disgusting." She complained. I nodded my assent, but it wasn't as though we could do anything. Apparently the stupid animals had some strange grudge against us, because none of them seemed to reside near the place where we'd taken shelter.

We were in one of the strangest places imaginable. We'd been looking for a shelter, when Frankie had spotted this place. It was the cave behind a dried up waterfall. It wasn't the most secure, having only one exit, but it was also one of the most obscured places I'd seen in this arena. The only problem, however, was that this place seemed devoid of animals.

Frankie's head suddenly dipped, and she started. She looked around with wide eyes, but I'd already caught it. "Hey, sleep for a while. You've been awake for a whole day. You took the last two watches, so go to sleep." I told her. She shook her head. "It's daytime, Absalom. What if some psycho attacks us?" She countered. I smiled. "Well, they'll have to get past this. And honestly, unless you can sleep through it, I think the screams of the battle will wake you up." I stated, holding up my massive axe. Frankie looked at the weapon and laughed. "Right, wouldn't wanna get in the way of that." She said.

She bundled up her jacket, and using it as a makeshift pillow, lay on the ground in a somewhat fetal position. She must have been more tired than she's been letting on because she was asleep within moments.

I took some more tie with my beef strip, savoring what could possibly be the last of our food. That honestly worried me. Neither of us were good hunters. I was decent with my axe, but that was on a tree. Frankie had good aim, but she couldn't hit a moving target well enough. The only food we had was what we'd initially gotten at the cornucopia. Frankie had suggested we go back, but I had strongly refused. There was no telling what awaited us there. Even if the careers hadn't stocked up there, we could face dangers. There was a reason the Cornucopia was often the site of the Feasts.

Which left us with two ways of getting food. Either we hunted or we got sponsors. Dane may have been a loved victor, but even he wasn't good enough to get us food on the fifth day. So far into the Games, the sponsors only sent things like weapons and medicine. And that too in dire need. I couldn't expect food, unless the two of us were the most liked people in the Games. And I highly doubted that.

I sighed. We were running low on supplies. Very low. We wouldn't be able to hold off with the two of us. But…

I looked down at Frankie. Without realizing it, she'd reached over and taken my hand. It was a simply gesture of trust, of friendship, but it put a smile on my face. Then, just as quickly as the smile had come, it disappeared. This was the Hunger Games. Over here, nobody was anybody's friend. To survive, you needed to be heartless and emotionless. Things like friendship simply impeded the way.

I exhaled as I looked over at our bags. I knew this wasn't right, and I knew it was despicable. But I couldn't help it. I needed to survive. In these Games, survival mattered the most. I'd formed the alliance with Frankie to survive.

And now, I was going to break it for the same purpose.

I honestly didn't want to do this. This made me feel like a pathetic creature, but on the other hand, I knew we would soon run out completely if we stuck together. Alone, I had supplies to last me at least four days longer.

I gently extricated my hand from Frankie's. She stirred slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. Well, at least she was tired enough not to wake up anytime soon. I stood up and brushed off my jeans. I had to do this. I had to get back to my parents, to my friends.

I hefted my axe, and slowly picked up the Glaive lying next to me. I stuck the knife o the ground next to Frankie in my pocket and walked over to where we'd kept our supplies. Trying my hardest not to make a sound, I picked up the small bag first. I attached it to my belt, and set down my axe. I slowly lifted the other, bigger bag, and picked up my axe again.

As I stood up, something inside the bag clanged, but it didn't rouse Frankie. The girl was a heavy sleeper. I sighed yet again. I looked at Frankie with guilt in my eyes, trying to convey a silent apology, even though I knew she couldn't hear or see me.

Frankie had been a good ally, and if I was completely honest with myself, Frankie had been a good friend too. I let a smile cross my face when I remembered how I'd helped her with the snakes. I couldn't have asked for a better ally. But now, five days into the Games, I couldn't afford to make friends. Friends would not only lessen y supplies, but also my chances of survival. Of meeting my family.

I started heading out of the cave, but froze. If I took everything with me, that left Frankie virtually with nothing. Even if someone found this place and attacked her, she'd be defenseless. She could find some food, I wasn't worried about that. But without anything to protect herself with, she could become a prey. I slowly walked over to where she lay and knelt down. As quietly as I could, I unhooked the knife from my belt and placed it on the ground beside her. I gave her a final sad smile, before getting up.

Then, without looking back, I headed out of the cave, my alliance now broken.

 **Regina Anna Pasternack(18)-D1 Female:**

I hugged my knees closer to my chest, feeling cold, despite the sun glowering overhead. Why was it so cold in here? I was only in the ruins of some kind of warehouse. It was littered with all sorts of ancient looking tools, and the walls were made of broken wood. I'd run here after I abandoned Nova.

My tears welled up. I didn't mean to abandon her. She'd been a good ally. But I had to. I couldn't put my life in danger for her. No, I had to return to Maeve and my family. What would they think if I had rushed in without thinking to save a girl I hadn't even known four days?

I didn't regret my decision. It made me feel very sad and strange inside, but I admitted this to myself. What I'd done was correct. I'd only wanted to save my life. And Nova's face hadn't appeared in the sky, so she must've still been alive. I had left her, yes, but it was only to save myself, and because I didn't want to do. I knew if she had been in my position, she would've done the same.

Anyone in these games would have. Everyone wanted to survive. Everyone had something to get back to. I wanted to get back to Maeve and raise a family. The two of us loved each other very dearly. I could see her smile in front of my face, her hair falling to her shoulders. And then there was my brother. Jakob and his band. Their music hurt my ears, to be honest, and I had told him so many times. He'd always seemed a little offended, but would always play something sweet for me. I loved listening to him play for me.

I sighed. I needed to win these Games to get back to them. I knew I had the brains. Sure, wasn't as powerful or strong as some of the other tributes, but I had a determination. I wasn't going to be put down. I was going to get through these games by myself. Everyone back home would always look down at me because of my frail form. I wasn't weak, but they never understood. I wasn't a training-addict like the other girls. I was simply myself. All I wanted was to live a simple life with my family, raise one myself with Maeve. That's all I wanted.

I was freezing. Tears had started to sting my eyes. I needed to start a fire. I'd been sitting in the same position for almost three hours now, and my whole body was stiff. As I got up to find something to start a fire with, I could feel my stomach drop.

I leaned against a wall, clutching it. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was. I stumbled over to my bags. I'd managed to keep all the bags with me while running away. Nova had entrusted them to me. Which was a good thing, because it had a few supplies.

I rummaged in the bag, my stomach growling. Hunger gnawed at my stomach. I'd always lived a sheltered life, and I'd never experienced hunger. My fingers curled around a packet and I pulled it out. My disappointment shot up. Inside were only three slices of apples. I looked through the bag a bit more, but there was nothing. The other bag didn't offer anything either. I groaned and sat back.

Had Nova been here, she would've been able to find food in a flash…

No. I shook my head. I didn't want to depend on anyone else for survival. I could do this. I needed to first fill my stomach and get rid of my weakness. I could hunt. Sure, I hadn't ever before, and I didn't plan on killing anything either. I mean, where was the hygiene? I couldn't simply shoot something and cook it over a fire and start eating, that was like a caveman! I needed my cleanliness and schedule. I groaned again. I'd have had lunch by now. I slumped back, disappointed that I couldn't stick to my daily routine because of these Games.

I needed to ration these apple slices. After slowly chewing on one of them, I took a meager bite of another and stuffed it back in the packet. I set the packet back in the bag and pulled out something I'd seen earlier.

A matchbox.

I smiled. Well, that was one problem solved. I leaned forward without getting up and grabbed two pieces of wood. Thankfully, the roof of this thing had been ruined, so the smoke wouldn't be a problem. I quickly put them in a rough pile and lit a match. I dropped it onto the pile and watched it catch fire.

Pleased immensely by my job, I held my hands over the fire, welcoming the warmth. The heat warmed my cheeks, and my hands returned to their slight pink color. I smiled, enjoying this moment. However, my smile didn't last long.

Because just then, the door swung open.

I looked up and yelped in surprise, only to see the boy from Seven standing in the doorway, holding out his huge axe.

 **Raymond Tate(12)- D5 Male:**

I cursed under my breath as I looked through my bag of supplies. Nothing. I found nothing. I needed something to eat, and I'd run clear out of supplies. I obviously couldn't wait until someone decided to sponsor me, because even if someone was hopeless enough to sponsor food so deep into the Games, that food wouldn't come to me.

I groaned. Goodness, why in the world was this happening to me? Not just to me, none of us deserved this. I was more than sure that I wasn't the only one with no supplies, running hungry and lost. I needed some food, or I'd die of starvation.

I shakily got to my feet. After my encounter with Siobhan, I'd gotten weaker and weaker. My food supply had dwindled immensely. But the worst thing was my lack of sleep.

I couldn't sleep a wink without having horrifying nightmares about Siobhan. Every time I tried to catch some shuteye, her face would appear, covered in blood, screaming and begging me to save her. Sometimes it would just be me watching as Siobhan died in gruesome ways. Other times it would be her killing me in gruesome ways.

Killing someone was not as bad as I had expected. It was so much worse. It was ore than haunting. It took away your very sanity. I'd held a somewhat fine grip on my sanity by trying to convince myself that it had been necessary for me to kill her. I knew it had been, I needed to live. But that didn't make the feeling of dread go away.

I could still remember the way Siobhan had looked at the sky before she'd shot the first arrow. As much as I liked Dane, I couldn't help but blame him. I knew it was irrational, blaming him for something he totally couldn't help, but had he not killed her brother, I wouldn't have had to go through this. The guy was sweet and naïve, and blaming him just felt wrong, but a part of me did, no matter how much I tried to deny it.

I hadn't realized I'd stopped beside a tree. My hiding places composed simply of trees. Not only would it be hard for anyone big to come after me, but the only ones who could reach me here would be someone I could take. And even if I couldn't, I had my poisons.

I hadn't planned on making poisons my main weapon, but I'd slowly realized how powerful they were. All that training on poisons had paid off. I could now differentiate and identify scores of them. I'd killed Siobhan with a measly stab, only relying on Nightlock. I smiled. Nightlock was probably my favorite. It would kill within a minute, without bringing much torture.

Of course, I couldn't use poison for hunting. I took out one of my knives which didn't have poison coated on them, and hid behind a tree. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I heard some movement off to my left and my head snapped up. Without hesitating, I threw my knife as hard as I could.

I heard a sickening sound and knew my knife had found its target. I walked over to examine my prey. The white rodent lay dead at my feet. I didn't know much about animals, and I couldn't identify this one. But it seemed to be edible.

I gagged slightly as I drew my knife out, and the thought of eating something so disgusting came to mind. Of course, I would have to light a fire, but I would have to cook it fast, before anyone could notice. Thereafter, I would take y cooked meal and move to another place. So even if someone did notice and come, they wouldn't find me.

I smiled a small smile. I liked my plan. It was risky, yes, but I was in the middle of the Hunger Games. Every breath I took was a risk. I needed to be careful if I wanted to stay alive.

I knew I was at a stark disadvantage. I was a whole lot younger than many other tributes. The only young ones still in the Games were the girl from Seven, the girl from six, and myself. I honestly didn't know how the girl from Six had survived so long, but I suspected it had something to do with that ally of hers, the guy from Eleven.

I wasn't immensely strong, but I was tall. I had a somewhat athletic build, but I relied much more on agility than strength. Strength gave you an advantage over the enemy, because it allowed you to overpower them. However, agility gave you the element of surprise. And with that, you could defeat them. Overpowering wasn't enough. In something like the Games, one needed to demolish his opponent.

I sat down hard on a rock, dropping my prey to the floor. When had I become so ruthless? Sure, I'd never been the most social of people, and no one really liked me, but I wasn't a cold blooded killer. And now, in these Games, I was thinking about demolishing my opponents. I hadn't even batter an eye while killing Siobhan. Sure, it haunted me later, but I hadn't hesitated.

I wondered for a moment if any of the other younger ones felt the same way I did. I couldn't be sure, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I was the only person below fifteen here to get a kill. Usually that would grope I sponsors, but everytime I thought about these despicable people, I wanted to puke.

They were beyond horrible. The sent innocent children into these daunting Games to what, become psychotic killers? Just for their entertainment. We didn't deserve this! Just because of something some rebels had done half a century ago, didn't mean we would still have to pay.

Lost in my thought, I hadn't heard the rustling of trees. The thing that broke me out of my stupor was when I heard the sound of feet on grass. I looked up, and my eyes widened.

The irony slapped me in the face.

In front of me stood the boy from Eleven, panting and holding out his spear, using his other arm to shield the girl from Six.

I got to my feet, slightly weak from not having eaten anything. The boy looked exasperated and frustrated. "I don't wanta fight..." I said slowly. He looked at me. "You think I do? We were simply walking, when this black fog started surrounding us. We, trying to escape it, ended up here. And now, I finally see it. That fog wasn't normal. It was the Ganemakers, leading us towards you. And even though I don't want a fight..."

" _They_ do." I finished for him. There was a sadness to his eyes, a look of reluctance. He readied his spear. He looked apologetic, and I'm pretty sure I did too. The girl seemed shocked and frightened into paralysis. She broke out of it and grabbed his hand. "Dwayne, don't..." she pleaded. He shook his head. "I don't want to either." He said, more to me than her. I nodded. "But this is the Hunger Games." I finished for him yet again.

I drew two of my largest knives and poised myself for the fight. I tool a deel breath and charged.

 **~.~.~.~.**

 **A/N: Did Wizard just do that? Leave you guys with 2 cliffhangers?**

 **Yep. Hehe. ;)**

 **So sorry, but I figured this story was missing the cliffy monster, so I invited him in. This was actually gonna be 4 POVs with Thaddeus' at the end, but I've broken my record and it's like 4 am over here and I needa sleep because I look like a zombie apocalypse. Sorry about that guys..**

 **Another thing I need to apologize for is the less number of deaths. I know I haven't killed many people, but I want to tell their stories first. Eavh tribute has a story, and I'm trying to get them all. I apologize sincerely for this, but please bear with me. I promise mlre action in the next chapter. I promise. :)**

 **Also, what didja think of Absalom leaving Frankie? And what of Regina's thoughts? Whaddya think will happen after those cliffies!? *goes into extreme hysteria mode and freaks people out***

 **Erm, yeah, sorry. But tell me what you guys thought! I know this was a little short but I hope you enjoyed it! Next chal will be longer, but I reaally hope youbliked this one! Sorry for the late update, 5 exams in 5 days can sap the strength lretty bad. But YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME I MEAN THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND OMG 396 RRVIEWS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE BEYOND AWESOME THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Avena**  
 **Blake**

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**

 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nick**

 **Regina Anna**

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	35. Day Five: Part Two

**Day Five:**

 **Part Two:**

 **Blake Coleman(17)- D12 Male:**

I was running, running as fast as I could. "Avena!" I yelled, trying to catch up. "Avena wait!"

"JUST GO AWAY!" She yelled, not stopping for even a heartbeat. I crashed through the trees, trying to reach her. She simply kept running. I internally groaned.

Putting on a burst of speed, I leapt forward and tackled her to the ground. She thrashed in my arms, screaming and punching wherever she could. She fought against me, but I pinned her to the ground. Now, let me say, I'm not the biggest guy out there. I have fragile bones and not much muscle. Holding a writhing girl on the ground was a little beyond my reach. However, I managed barely to hold her down.

"AVENA STOP!" I yelled. And then, suddenly, she was crying. She was still thrashing, but now, she was sobbing. Pained, agonized, sobbing. Slowly, she stopped struggling against me, and simply lay her head on the ground. I pulled us up and hugged her, resting her head against my shoulder. I didn't ask anything. I knew the reason of her cries.

Eva's loss had hit her hard. After her death, Avena had shut off completely, not saying a word. Then, today, we'd been attacked by some mutts, and Avena had completely lost it. Remembering the way she'd cut up the mutts was horrifying. We'd simply been sitting, trying to gather our wits, when she'd taken off.

I don't even know how far we'd run. All I knew was that now, we were in a completely unknown section of the arena, with no clue of our surroundings, and I was holding a writhing, crying girl. Wasn't my situation completely normal?

"I couldn't do it…" Avena cried against my shirt. "I couldn't protect her." She lifted her head to look at me. Her eyes were shiny and puffy with tears. Her face was red, the tears streaking the dirt on her face. Her hair was a mess, from all the thrashing and struggling. "I promised to protect her, and I couldn't do it…" her voice broke.

"Hey, Avena," I said, making her look at me and her head dipped low. "You couldn't possibly have done anything. You tried, okay? You tried to save her. That trap was going to get its victim. Neither of us could've saved her." I said softly.

She pushed me back. "I don't care what you say, Blake. You never were part of this alliance. I know you're not the least bit fazed by Eva's death!" She screamed, her tone turning quickly to enraged. I took a step back in shock. What was she saying!? I was utterly shocked by Eva's death.

"The only reason you were in this alliance was because of Eva. And now she's gone!" Avena cried, shoving me back further. "JUST GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE! I don't want to be your ally, okay!?" She yelled, succumbing to tears once more.

My mouth dropped open in shock. Avena was breaking the alliance? Was she crazy? "Avena, just stop and think, you're not thinking straight! I know Eva's death was hard on you, but you-"She cut e off by slapping me straight across my face. I retreated, holding my stinging cheek. "What the hell!?" I demanded.

"JUST GO! I don't want to see your face! You're a no-good jerk, and I never wanted to be your ally! I was, because Eva wanted me to! And now she's gone, so I no longer need to be! JUST LEAVE!" She yelled.

I stood up straight, hardening my jaw. If she wanted this, so be it. This alliance wasn't going to benefit me anyways. Sure, Avena was a fighter, but she was pretty unpredictable and unstable. She could go completely nuts and attack me too. I couldn't risk my life for a girl who didn't even want to be my ally.

"Fine. I'll leave. But before I go, let me just remind you, that if it hadn't been for me, you're have been a puddle of goo, mixing with lava. Eva's death hit me hard too, but I sucked it up. Because Avena, this is the Hunger Games, and people _die._ Only one of us is making it out alive, and the sooner you accept that, the freaking better." I spat. Without another word, turned on my heels and started walking off. I could hear Avena break down into sobs once more, but I kept walking.

I'd only gotten about twenty yards away, when I heard screaming. Avena's screams.

I turned immediately, my eyes wide. Avena was screaming for help. I started running towards the sound of her voice, but I stopped. Why should I run in to save her? She'd broken the alliance. I had nothing to do with her now. Going in there meant risking my own life. She wasn't something that was worth my life.

Her screams grew louder and more terrified. True, I didn't care much about people. It took time to get me to be attached to people. I cared about my survival, and this threatened it. To get back to my family, I needed to have a cold heart and an emotionless tactic. However, I wasn't a cruel person. I couldn't simply back off when someone needed help. And Avena's screams wretched my heart. They were so agonizing, I'd never heard something quite so miserable.

Without thinking more, I took off towards her voice. I was screaming her name, but her screams were louder than mine.

I crashed into a clearing, and almost ran back the other way.

The clearing was covered in a mass of bugs. Some came at me, and when they settled onto my skin, I could feel them rip a bit of flesh off. Carnivorous bugs, that's what they were. But the bugs didn't terrify me all that much. It was the scene in front of me that did.

Avena was on her knees, and she was _covered_ in the bugs. The covered her whole body and I could hear her screaming as she tried to swat them off. There was blood everywhere. Blood covering the grass, blood on the rocks, everywhere. The bugs simply wouldn't come off Avena. She was going crazy, swatting and slapping herself in an attempt to get the horrible bugs off, but the more she kept hitting them, the more they seemed to surround her.

I was petrified in terror, but another blood-curling scream from Avena, and it snapped me back to reality. "AVENA!" I yelled, running forward. The bugs bit at my flesh, but I ignored it. If they were this carnivorous, and Avena had that many covering her… God, I didn't even want to think about it. I simply needed to get her out of here.

I ripped at the bugs, sweeping them off her arms and legs. Some kept coming back, but their concentration was dwindling. It was as if someone had told them that it was enough. They either crawled or flew away, as I swept more off. When I'd gotten all the bugs off of Avena, she collapsed into y arms.

I almost threw up. Avena's sight was beyond terrible.

Her whole body was a moving mass of raw flesh. Her skin had been completely eaten away by those bugs, and I could tell they'd taken quite a lot of flesh too. Everything was blood, that's all I saw of her. The flesh on her cheeks had been ripped off by the bugs. I don't know how her eyes had gone unscathed, but it didn't matter. I almost recoiled at the pure disgusting sight of the girl I was holding, when she lurched. She turned to her side and opened her mouth, screaming some more. However, her screams sounded… guttural, like the ones of an animal. Something fell out of her mouth, and I immediately understood why.

A bug. That's what had fallen from her mouth. If that carnivorous thing had been inside her mouth…

I turned around and really threw up. I emptied everything inside my stomach onto the grass. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Avena's tongue had been eaten away by that bug… She was worse than an Avox… I'd never encountered something so grotesque…

I wiped my mouth and turned back to where Avena lay, completely still on the ground. In her hand was clutched her dagger. I shakily crawled over to her and lifted her head onto my lap. Her hair was missing in areas where it had been ripped out. "Avena I…" I didn't even know what to say. How could I say anything? The whole situation had stolen my words.

Avena raised a shaking hand, the dagger almost falling out. She slowly pushed the dagger into my hand. I looked at her, my eyes asking her silently what she was doing. She grunted, now no longer being able to speak. She took my hand and placed the tip of the dagger on her chest. My eyes grew even wider as I realized what she was asking me to do.

She was asking me to kill her, to end her suffering

"Avena I can't!" I protested. She grunted again, and now, I could see her tears. Before I knew it, tears were running down my cheeks as well. Her eyes only conveyed one word.

 _Please._

I was really crying now. Sure, I could tell myself all I wanted that I didn't care too much about people. And to some extent, that was true. But I couldn't kill someone. I wasn't made of that material. And as much as I hated it, I cared about Avena. And now, she had been skinned and her flesh had been eaten off by some bugs. And I was needed to end it for her. She tapped the dagger again, telling me to hurry it up.

"Avena… I'm so sorry…" my voice broke, as I leaned down and pressed my forehead against her bloodied one. She closed her eyes, her breath trickling my neck. I shut my eyes tight, letting out a final sob.

I sunk the dagger into her chest.

I pulled my head back, now crying harder than ever. I didn't even care that I was crying on national television where everyone could see me. All I knew was, I'd just stabbed my ally in the heart. I looked at Avena, at her ruined face, her closed eyes.

I caught a hint of a relieved smile crossing her features, just before the cannon blew.

 _Boom._

 **Regina Anna Pasternack(18)-D1 Female:**

I retreated, as he came through the door. I wracked my brain for his name. "Absalom?" I asked, my voice small and terrified. He frowned. "I'm gonna guess it's Regina Anna?" He asked the same way. I shook y head. "Ginny." I corrected. He seemed a little surprised that I would be worried about what he called me in this situation, but I disliked it when people called me Regina Anna. I liked things the way I wanted them, in a proper organized manner. I liked Ginny, and I wanted people to call me that.

"Goddamn, I didn't think I'd meet you of all people." He grunted. I'd begun to think he'd simply go away, but he lifted up his massive axe. "Well, at least it'll be kinda easy." He said. He came at me, and I panicked. I raised my hands above my face and screamed "WAIT!"

To my surprise, he did. He stopped, and when I looked at it, I could see his surprised expression. "Please, please just let me go, please…" I cried. Tears of fear ran down my cheeks. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die at all. I wanted to go back. "This is the Games, Ginny. No one shows any mercy. I want to go back home just as much as anyone else, and killing you takes me one step closer." He said, his voice steely. He readied his weapon again, when I screamed. Out of sheer desperation, I threw myself at the ground in front of his feet, sobbing. All I knew was that I wanted to stay alive. I didn't want to die so soon. If I had to beg for mercy, so be it.

"Please, Absalom, I beg of you, please, let me go…" I cried. He retreated staggering a bit. His expression was shocked. "What the hell are you doing!?" He asked, backing away. "Get up!"

I shook my head. "Please, if I have to beg for mercy, I don't care, but please let me go. You can take all my supplies, even my weapons. Just please, spare my life, please…." I begged.

For a moment, there was only silence, and my sobs. I heard shuffling and looked up to see Absalom steady his stance. "God, why me?" he lamented. He glared at me. "I can't kill someone so weak and miserable. I wanna jam my axe into you right now, but I'm no monster. I can't kill someone when they're begging for mercy at my feet. Get up, and get back. I'm not hurting you." He said, sounding reluctant.

A sob of joy escaped my throat. I couldn't believe I had actually avoided this! I was going to live! I had extended my chances of making it back home! Absalom stepped forward and I crawled back. He picked up my bag. I looked at him, and he raised an eyebrow. "What, you didn't think I'd leave everything, did you? I'm no monster, but I'm not an idiot either. I'm taking your supplies." He said.

My eyes widened. Sure, in a moment of desperation, I had told him he could, but that didn't mean he took all my supplies. I could feel my breathing getting heavier as he shuffled through my bag. It was strange, what panic made someone do. Under the influence of panic, I'd run away from Nova. The whole situation had gotten to me. I was breaking under the pressure of these games.

Absalom was apparently satisfied with what he'd found, because he zipped the bag and nodded at me. Without a word, he turned to leave. As I watched him walk away, panic engulfed me. I couldn't survive without any supplies! Those were my only chance! He may have not killed me, but he was leaving me for dead! Not knowing what else to do, I did the first thing that came to my mind.

I slid out the knife I kept in my sock and ran forward. Just as he was turning, I buried my knife in his back, just beside his right shoulder.

He let out a cry and crumpled to his knees. "You SHIT FACE!" He yelled, clutching his shoulder. I raised my knife again, this time aiming for his heart, and brought it down. However, in a swift motion, he caught my wrist, sending the knife clattering away. My expression turned to one of horror, as he stood up, holding his axe in his left hand, his eyes red from anger.

He raised the axe and embedded it my shoulder. I screamed a scream that was quite possibly the loudest I'd ever heard, and collapsed. Absalom yanked his axe out, leading to another scream. "I SPARED YOUR EFFIN' LIFE!" He yelled. I was in too much pain to respond. My shoulder felt like it was on fire, and every nerve in my body screamed. Absalom raised his axe again.

"HEY!" A voice yelled out. I looked towards the door, and could barely make out a form.

Almiro stood in the doorway, looking both shocked and enraged.

He drew his sword and ran at Absalom, but the latter was fast. He grabbed his bag and leapt out the nearest window. Almiro looked out after him, but decided against it as he knelt down beside me.

"Regina, it's alright. The wound isn't that deep…" he said, even though I knew he was lying. The axe hadn't hit any vital organs, but I knew how people died from blood loss. And no one was equipped with the means to help me out.

"Almiro, I need to tell you something." I whispered. I'd been holding it all in since that day. The day of the launch. The day I'd overheard those two people. Almiro leaned closer, nodding. "On the night of the launch…" and everything came tumbling out. Everything I'd heard, everything I'd seen. I emptied it all, and by the end, I was crying again. I hated seeming so weak, especially in front of my district partner. I was in so much pain, and there was no way anyone was going to help me. I didn't want to die like this, not crying like a weakling in front of my partner.

"Regina-"

"Leave me alone." I told him. He looked shocked. "What?"

" I said leave me alone! I don't want to die in front of someone else, completely helpless and weak. Just go." I ordered. He waited a few moments, before nodding. He didn't say anything as he walked away.

I turned around and wiped my tears. I needed to find something here that would act as a splinter for my hand. I knew I was going to die from bleeding, but at least I could try to delay my death. I'd sent Almiro away, because I didn't want to be living at his mercy, weak and helpless, needing someone else's help to survive. I was independent and if I was going to live, it would be because I had it in me. I got to my feet, but I was weak. I collapsed against a wall, and the strangest thing happened.

The whole wall gave away, as though it had been made of paper. I got up and looked at it, to see that it had revealed some kind of opening. There was nothing that I could see; it seemed to be a never ending tunnel that stretched on for miles. What was this?

I was seeing stars now, but curiosity got the better of me. I started walking into the tunnel, and the darkness seemed to surround me on all sides. My footsteps were weak, and I was staggering. My eyesight was spotted with red. The tunnel seemed to be made of cool rock.

I kept walking. I had no idea where this tunnel was leading, but I wanted to get to the end.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but finally, I started to see the streaks of light. My legs gave away and I fell. I could see the opening of the tunnel in front of me, but now, my eyesight was going dark.

I leaned my head against the floor of the cave and passed out.

 **Thaddeus Sheen- Gamemaker/ Head of traps and Mutts:**

"What the hell is going on!?" Bruce exclaimed, running over to where Thaddeus sat. "Thaddeus, where did she go?"

Thaddeus stared at the screen, perplexed. "Sir, I don't know! She simply disappeared! The tracker was in her shoulder, and when that boy dug his axe in, it hit the tracker. I had no idea where she went!" he exclaimed, typing furiously. This couldn't be possible, he couldn't lose Regina.

Thaddeus had figured out that she'd been the one who'd been with Kay on that night. He knew she knew the code. He needed her if he was going to stop the Parasite. But the girl had simply disappeared from the arena. He had no idea how, but they were no longer mapping her. her tracker had malfunctioned, but the monitor which showed the tribute's locations from the overhead view of the arena was also not showing her name.

"Sir, she's gone from the arena!" Someone else cried. Bruce banged his wrist against the table. "HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?" He demanded. Thaddeus had never seen him quite so angry. He turned sharply to face him. "Thaddeus, blow her cannon." He ordered. "But sir, we don't know if she's dead…" he answered, refusing to show the panic that he felt. He couldn't let Bruce know.

"I DON'T CARE!" The Head Gamemaker yelled. "The people need to know something! If she was in the arena, the overhead camera would map her. She's gone, but the people can't know that, so BLOW IT!" he yelled. Deciding against arguing, Thaddeus turned around and got to work. Within moments, the cannon blew for the girl from One.

Bruce exhaled, but he was far from calm. "How could this happen!? How could she find a escape route!? NO ONE had escaped from the arena before!" he yelled, rounding on Thaddeus. "Sir, I'm in charge of the creation of the mutts. That's it. I don't even decide when to implement them, and I definitely don't look over the creation of the arena." He countered. Bruce seemed too angry to even tell him off.

"WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE ARENA!?" He yelled. No one said anything. "Don't make me get out the records. Who is it!?"

A small wiry young man raised his hand, shaking from fear. Bruce turned to him with a glare that could melt through someone. Before anyone could react, he swept out a gun from his pocket, and shot the man in the head.

"Alistair!" A girl cried, holding the man's limp body. Thaddeus turned to Rayne with wide eyes, shocked into silence from what he'd just seen. "Her brother…" Rayne whispered.

"We can't have such moaning and groaning, you understand!?" Bruce yelled. Without so much as blinking, he put a bullet in the girl's head too. She collapsed next to her brother, her blood splattering against the wall. Bruce sighed and shook his head.

"Pathetic. If anyone messes something up again, they'll end up no better than them, you understand? Now, you," he turned to another man, who flinched. "Send the Peacekeepers to where she disappeared.. Have them stand outside the arena, and if they see her, tell them to empty their whole guns into her head, you got it?" he ordered. The man nodded and set to work.

Thaddeus slowly backed up from the room. "Hey, Thaddeus, where're you going?" Bruce asked, not seeming even the tiniest bit fazed from just having killed two people. "I need a moment." Thaddeus said simply. With that, he turned and ran out, not caring what he looked like.

He simply ran to his room and closed the door, not even locking it. His mind was clouded by fear and panic. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He sank to his knees. Regina had been the only way they could have stopped the Parasite, and now she was gone. The guilt of failure and helplessness crashed down on him.

He didn't even hear the door open, but suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kimi standing above him, looking concerned. He stood up to face her, his hands shaking. He was never like this, he was stoic and unemotional. But the situation had broken him. "Rayne told me wher you could've gone. She wasn't allowed to come, not after you took off. Thaddeus, what happened?" she asked.

"Regina, the girl who'd heard the combination, we lost her." He said, his voice weak. Kimi gasped. "She's dead!?"

Thaddeus shook his head. "No, we don't know that. But she made it out of the arena in some sort of chink in the force field, and now we don't know where she is. She probably bled to death, and even if the peacekeepers find her, they'll kill her!" he yelled. "Kimi, she was our only way of stopping the Parasite! Now we're helpless! And it's all my fault! I should've been more careful should've helped her in some way!" He was losing it, and he knew it himself. Kimi took his face and made him look at her.

"Thaddeus, calm the eff down. Look at me." She ordered. Thaddeus forced himself to calm his breathing and looked at her. "None of this is your fault. And just clear your mind and think. There must be some other way. We're not giving up on this, okay? Just think. I know you'll come up with something." She reassured.

She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and she stroked his hair comfortingly. He took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Panicking wouldn't help in their situation.

After a few moments, he pulled away. He sighed and closed his eyes, now much calmer than before. Kimi let out a small laugh. "Even the big brave Gamemaker needs a hug now and then." She said. Thaddeus, surprising even himself, smiled. "Thanks Kimi." He said, looking back at her. She returned his smile and patted his shoulder.

"I know you'll think of something Thaddeus. I know you will." She said.

 **Raymond Tate(12)- D5 Male:**

I dodged Dwayne's first strike and swung at him. He leapt out of the way. Lisette stayed out of the fight, for which I was thankful. Dwayne swung again, narrowly missing me. I swerved around his spear and brought down my knife.

It grazed his shoulder and he recoiled, clutching it. I stepped back, panting. "This doesn't feel right." He said, grunting. I almost laughed. "We're in the Games. Nothing is right." I growled. He looked at me, somewhat shocked. He probably hadn't expected something quite so rebellious and unnerving coming from a twelve year old.

He stabbed his spear at me, and I jumped away just in time. The spear found its target in the tree next to me, and stuck there. Seizing my opportunity, I slashed at Dwayne. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it. I cried out in pain and brought up my other hand, but he knocked it away. He was taller than me and stronger. I kicked him in his knee and staggered away from him as he yanked out his spear.

He swung again, aiming for my stomach. I lurched back, bending down so that it would miss. I had lost one knife, but I still had another. I met his next strike with it. I locked it onto the spearhead, holding his blow at a standstill. My eyes were going red from exursion and fatigue. Dwayne was sweating and bleeding. We both were tired and exhausted, but neither of us were giving up.

I kicked him again, this time in his chest. However, it didn't do any damage. He simply came at me again. I ducked his swing and slashed.

We fell into a deadly dance. He swung, I ducked. I slashed he blocked. We were in a dance of death. One mistake meant death.

I stabbed at his stomach with my dagger, and he blocked it. Suddenly, someone hit me in the back of my knees, causing me to fall. I felt someone take my hands behind my back in a deadlock, and tilted my head up to see Lisette glaring down at me.

Dwayne wiped some blood off of his mouth and stepped up. He held out his spear and glared too. "I know you don't deserve this. But if I have to go home, you have to die. I'm sorry Raymond." He said. He walked forward and lifted his spear.

I wasn't going down without a fight. I smashed my head against his leg, sending him reeling back. I shot to my feet and swung Lisette forward. I grabbed her by her hair and smashed her head into a tree. She fell, clutching her head, which was now bleeding.

I ran to Dwayne, and before he could get up, I punched him square in the jaw. He fell to his side again, giving me enough time to take out a knife. I slashed it across his chest.

The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to injure him. He yelled in pain and recoiled, the face of death clear on his eyes. I raised my knife to end it, but stopped.

What was I doing? I was actually about to take another life. I couldn't do this. I wouldn't become a mindless killer, not for the Capitol.

I backed away, and Dwayne looked at me strangely. He'd probably been expecting death. "I'm not killing anyone else. I'm not going to be haunted by another one. Every time I close my eyes, I see Siobhan's face. I don't know if you know what it feels like, Dwayne, but killing someone kills you too. Their faces haunt you day and night. I'm not killing myself again."

Not even waiting to see their reactions, I swept up my bags and ran off in another direction.

Once sufficiently away, I stopped to catch my breath. I'd lost one of my biggest knives, but I didn't care. It had been one of the knives I hadn't coated with poison. I still had my other two. I'd specifically chosen the knives without poison.

As I was placing the knives back in my belt, however, I froze. I looked at the blade of the smaller knife I'd taken out during the battle. I hadn't seen which one I was taking. I loked at my own reflection in the blade.

Which was coated in poison.

My breathing was ragged. I couldn't believe this. I covered my mouth. This poison was slow, so he wouldn't die immediately. It would take a long time, but it would happen. Tears stung my eyes.

I had tried in every way to save his life.

But I'd handed him a slow death anyway.

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: HAHAHAHA BETCHA DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!**

 **Right. I know. I'm evil. Sorry this update was late guys. I've been trying, but thanks for bearing with me! This chapter was immensely interesting to write, NO JOKE.**

 **Okay, to clarify, Regina isn't technically dead. She found a way out of the arena and fainted. Jst saying.**

 **Also, 400 REVIEWS ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS OMG WHAT THIS IS AMAZING YAZZZZ. SHOUT OUT TO AGENTWRITER FOR BEING MY 400TH REVIEWER!**

 **But, and I'm really really sorry if I sound like a git, but I've noticed the amount of reviews dwindling. I swear, I still love you guys so much, but is it my writing? Is the story getting boring? Is it the lack of deaths? Please tell me, and I promise I will try to improve! But still, I love you guys I mean I never ever EVER thought I'd get 400 anythings on anything, and this story crossed that many reviews and I'm going crazy.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Avena Larson: Okay, this was terrible. I know her death was terrible, but I really loved her character. She was detailed, realisic and interesting. She was my spitfire tribute and I loved her relation with Eva and how she came to (somewhat) like Blake too. She was a character I loved writing and tried to develop as best I could. It was sadly her time to go. She will be missed.**

 **Regina Anna Pasternack: Now, yes, I know Regina isn't technicall dead, but she's gone from the Games and has no further role in the story, so I felt the need to put this. She was one of the most interesting characters I'd recieved. She was different, unique and fascinating. I again, tried to develop her as much as possible, but I sadly didn't see how I could do that any further. I didn't want to do injustice to her chracter by giving her an unjustified death, so I thought this up. I hope I did her justice. She will also be missed.**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Blake**  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**

 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nick**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	36. Day Six: Part One

**Day Six:**

 **Part One:**

 **Lawson Dean (18)- D2 Male:**

"You did what!?" I exclaimed, staring at Almiro, slack-jawed. "Okay, let me just get this straight. You had an opportunity to take out the biggest competition, and you let him go, to sit beside your dying district partner and hear her sob story, and when you could've killed her too, you listened to her bizarre request and came back!?"

Almiro fixed me with a stern look. "What was I supposed to do? Run off after some guy when my district partner was dying!? And you think it's easy to just slit someone's throat like that? Especially after you've spent so much time with them? Could you kill Siobhan if she was dying?" he demanded. I stopped for a moment, my eyebrows furrowed in angry concentration. I turned my gaze to him.

"If it came down to it, yes. I would." I told him, my voice steely and hard. Almiro raised an eyebrow, his eyes flitting to my clenched fists. He looked back at me with a meaningful expression on his face. "Yeah, go ahead and tell yourself that. I may not be the smartest career in this year's lot, but I can read people. Trust me on this Law. I couldn't do it, and neither could you." He said, leaning against a huge boulder.

I sighed. "Look, Almiro. I don't know about killing district partners, but there have been eleven kills, and only one of them has been mine. _One_. I'm a career for goodness sake! I should have the highest number of kills! And do I? No, I most certainly do NOT!" I could feel my voice rising. I knew this wasn't correct. I shouldn't have been taking out my frustration of not getting a kill on Almiro, but at the moment, I simply needed to know that I hadn't been completely useless in these Games.

I'd come in these Games to make my district proud. The son of the Head peacekeeper and the mayor, I was always the best at everything. The best trainee, the best student, the most popular guy. I'd unanimously been chosen as the volunteer. And now, when I was in the actual Games, I couldn't help feel more pathetic. All I'd done so far was kill a measly twelve year old from Three, and that too to save Lisette. Well, that and get my butt kicked every couple of hours by some new Gamemaker trap.

Almiro stared at me as I sheathed my sword. "What in the name of Panem are you doing!?" He asked, bewildered. I glared at him. "Whaddya think, genius? I'm going hunting. I need at least one more kill, okay?"

"What!?" Almiro exclaimed as I tried to walk away. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I shook off his arm, not doing any effort to hide my annoyance. "Are you crazy!?" He asked again. I rolled my eyes.

"Look, I don't think any career alliance in the history of the Games has been as useless as us. I mean, Bellona was taken out in the goddamn bloodbath, Siobhan was killed by a _twelve year old_ , Kai and Anna are God-knows-where, and the two of us are sitting here, doing absolutely nothing. I mean, seriously, we're the friggin' careers!" I reasoned. Almiro simply looked at me incredulously.

"Well let me tell you, Law, no career alliance in the History of the Games has been as damaged as us. We've been subjected to trap after trap, and we're broken, okay? No matter what you tell yourself, we're broken. Kai's arm almost got burned off, Anna's skin was cut up by the glass, and we still have glass shards sticking out of our hands! And Siobhan's FREAKING DEAD!" He yelled. I hesitated. I'd never seen Almiro get so angry before. Usually he was the calm, level-headed one. But now, he was making no sense. I mean, yes, true, we had been subjected to torture. But that didn't excuse anything. Almiro wasn't being much of a helpful ally at the moment. All he was doing was impede my path. If he was going to stop me from getting kills with that sort of logic…

I intensified my glare and set my jaw. I held out my sword in his direction, almost digging the tip into his neck. "Fine. If you stand in my way like this…" I didn't finish. I could feel my throat constrict. I couldn't believe it had come to this. I was actually holding a sword to the throat of the guy who'd saved my life. I took a moment to ponder what the Games had made me. Yes, I wasn't above killing, or manipulation, or betrayal. But I owed Almiro. However, I valued bringing honor to my district.

Almiro's expression was beyond shocked. His gaze travelled between the sword and me, and he backed up, clenching his lips tightly together. He drew his massive sword and touched his blade to mine. His eyes held a rage I'd never thought I'd see in them. "You're an idiot." He said simply.

With that, I swung my sword, aiming for his legs. Almiro easily blocked my strike and rolled away, brining up his sword just in time to meet my next move. He kicked out my legs from under me. I hit the ground hard, and I could feel the metallic taste of blood flood my mouth. I'd bitten my tongue, badly. Before Almiro could attack, I shot to my feet and readied my sword again.

I spat out a blob of blood, my mouth burning with pain. Almiro scooped up his sword and I went for him, for his back was facing me. Before I could land a hit, he swiftly turned and slammed the hilt of the sword onto my shoulder. I crumbled to the ground in pain, clutching my throbbing shoulder. Almiro hacked down, and I barely caught the strike on the hilt of my sword. That maneuver sent a jolt of pain through my already-hurting shoulder, but I ignored it.

However, in so much pain, I hadn't seen Almiro slide out the small kunai knife from his belt. He stabbed the thing into my forearm, and I dropped the sword, reeling back in pain, letting loose a broken yell. I yanked the kunai out, which led to another yell. Almiro kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back into a tree. I hit the trunk hard and slid down to my knees, helpless as Almiro approached me with his sword. I simply looked at him, blood dripping in a slow stream from my mouth and gushing from my hand. He pushed the tip of his sword in my face, the bronze point hovering mere centimeters in front of my eye.

I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.

It never came.

A sigh made me open my eyes. Almiro retracted his sword and buried the tip in the ground. He sank to his knees in front of me, causing me to give him a confused glance. He glared at me. "I'm not killing you Law. I don't care if this puts me in danger, or harms my path to victory. I won't sink to the depths of killing my only remaining ally." He said.

My mouth fell open. "You're… giving up… a chance…" I couldn't even complete my sentence. Was this guy crazy!? I mean, I wasn't complaining of course, but if Almiro continued like this, he'd be in trouble. But more than that, the emotion that overwhelmed me was guilt. I'd mindlessly attacked Almiro, who'd stuck with me since day One. He was my ally, and he trusted me. And I'd snapped that trust for the incredibly stupid reason of trying to get a kill. I looked at the ground, my face burning in shame.

"Almiro I'm…" the word sounded foreign on my lips. I'd never apologized to anyone. No matter what happened, I never apologized. But now, what I'd done was almost unforgivable. I'd attacked Almiro. And he'd spared my life. If I'd owed him before, I had no idea what my situation was now.

"Don't. Don't apologize. It's the Games getting to you. I know. You may be a career Law, but you are human." He said, sitting down cross-legged. I gave him a bewildered look. "I don't know if you're stupidly noble or just simply crazy, but I tried to _kill_ you. And you _spared_ my life. So yes, Almiro, an apology is needed. I'd sorry for acting like the world-record-setter for crappiest ally. And I'm sorry for being such a shit-face." I said. Almiro looked up at me with a smile.

"See? You are human. I was correct." He said. I took a moment to digest what he'd just said, and then, very surprisingly, burst out laughing. After a few moments, the two of us simply looked at each other. "We've lost it, haven't we?" I asked. Almiro shrugged. "Probably. Now, unless you want that thing to get infected, go patch up the wound," he ordered, pointing at my arm, "while I go set up camp with whatever supplies we have."

I nodded as Almiro got up and started to walk away. I heavily leaned against the tree and supported myself to a standing position, when Almiro stopped and turned to face me with a smirk.

"Oh and by the way, I know about Lisette."

 **Nick Noelle(16)- D7 Female:**

The sound of my axe against the rough surface of the rock was both annoying and calming. How, you ask? I don't know, I say. The screeching noise was probably painful to my ears, but it gave me something to concentrate on.

I didn't really know what I felt. I couldn't describe it as anger, because I wasn't angry. And even if I was, I had no idea who I was angry at. I wasn't angry at Nova, I mean, I had no reason to be. And I definitely wasn't angry at Colt. We'd started the alliance as a temporary one, and he's stuck to his end of the deal. He'd been a good ally, and I couldn't complain.

I sighed as I set down the axe and leaned back against a tree. I guess I was simply angry with myself. I should never have made the alliance and I should never have imagined Colt as Flint. Of course, I couodnt help it. Both of them looked and acted so freaking similar.

I shook my head. I was in the Games. All these emotional thought about my family and missing them would have to wait. At the moment, I needed to survive. And that meant finding water.

I looked up at the sky and smiled my most innocent smile. "Hey Blight? A gallon of water right now would be marvelous, don't you think?" I asked. I waited for a few moments, hoping a parachute would appear, preferably with some water and maybe even a note from Blight in which he apologized dearly for neglecting me. No such thing happened.

"Yeah, real sweet man… real sweet." I grumbled. I slowly got to my feet and hefted my bag onto my shoulder. I grumbled something about stupid mentors and stupid parachutes, but even I knew that grumbling would get me nowhere. I needed to find some water on my own.

I hadn't picked up much from when I'd broken off the alliance. I mean, there hadn't been much in the first place, and Colt and Nova were two people. They'd obviously need more supplies than I did. Except now that I thought of it, that kind of thinking was exactly the kind that got idiots like me killed in these games.

"Okay, could you at least show me a direction to the water source, instead of having me walk around like a lost puppy?" I groaned. Of course, nothing happened. I kicked a rock and sent it flying off into the tree lining.

"Okay, Nick, calm down. Obviously our brilliant mentor isn't going to be of much help, so get your effin' wits together. Use that noggin' and think." I ordered myself.

I hadn't done much after the alliance split. Of course, I didn't have much time after that, for it had been almost nighttime when I'd found a suitable tree to take shelter in. I'd only managed to grab a packet of beef jerky and some small biscuits from our supplies. I'd finished the miniscule amount of water I had left.

That's when I remembered the rabbit. When I'd been looking for shelter, I'd found a rabbit cuddling next to the tree I'd chosen. I'd tried to stab it, but the fluff-ball had run off. But now that I thought about it, the thing had had mud caked on its paws. And mud didn't come from nowhere. Where there was mud, there was water. It was a long shot, but I got to my knees, looking for any signs of the animal's footprints.

I let out a whoop on noticing it. It wasn't exactly a footprint, but it was a patch of grass, which had been muddied. Possibly by the paws of the animal. There was a line of such patches, leading off into the trees. I grinned, satisfied with my brain (for once).

I followed the track, and before long, heard the ever-endearing sound of flowing water. I broke into a run, and after a few moments, the stream became visible. I dropped to my knees beside it and slashed open my bottle. I sat down to fill it up, and watched as the water flowed in. Of course, I knew better than to simply gulp it down. I dropped a few drops of Iodine, and waited.

Now, let me tell you, patience is not one of my virtues. However, I decided to push myself. I mean, how embarrassing would it be if I died from salt water? The glorious legacy Of Nick Noelle came to an end when she was too stupid not to wait three minutes more for the iodine to work.

Yeah, not the greatest way to be remembered.

Suddenly, something shot out of the water and grabbed my ankle. I let loose a blood-curling scream, because the thing looked like a vine. To my utmost horror, the thing yanked me forward, and before I could gather my senses enough to fight, I could feel myself being pulled under.

Have you ever seen a stream which was about two hundred feet deep? Yeah, me neither. But apparently the Gamemakers found it hilarious, because I could feel myself being dragged into the depths of the water. I was rapidly losing air, and I wasn't exactly the best swimmer.

I bent down as best as I could and tugged at the vine. It momentarily stopped. Great. My lungs were screaming for air, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to drown. Nope. This was not how I was going to die. Not killed by some vine at the bottom of a stream. I, out of sheer desperation, bent completely and started biting the vine off of my leg. It yanked my again, but I was almost done. I pulled it off of my leg with full force, and threw it away as best as I could under water.

I was now seeing stars due to lack of air. Every nerve in my body screamed. My lungs felt as though they were on fire. I flailed weakly, but with lack of oxygen came lack of strength. I could feel the darkness clogging my vision.

But I'd set my mind, and once I'd done that, nothing changed Nick Noelle's mind. I more stubborn than the word itself. I kicked upwards and beat back the water with my hands. The surface was coming closer, but the stars in my vision were growing darker. I needed air, and I needed it fast.

Just when I thought I was done for, my face broke to the surface. I lunged for the bank and pulled myself up, collapsing on the soft grass. I took deep breaths, retching and coughing. I scrambled back from the bank after hurriedly grabbing my supplies, but I didn't get far. I simply leaned against a tree, trying to breathe. Never before had I been so close to death. I was dripping wet and shivering, but at the moment, all I needed was air. I didn't even care about the cold.

I leaned my head against the tree, my breathing somewhat normal again. I knew this was dangerous, but I couldn't help it.

So, for the second time in the games, I let unconsciousness drag me under.

 **Anna Austen(17)-D4 Female:**

I flinched once more as Kai tried to apply fresh bandages. "Sorry, sorry…" he muttered. I shook my head. "Stop apologizing. It's not your fault, okay?" I said. I was surprised at how weak my voice sounded. Apparently Kai noticed it too.

"Anna, look. I know what happened, it shouldn't have. I know you feel bad about killing Ruben. But the guy was a psychopath! He tortured you and would've killed me too!" He said. I looked at him, tears stinging my eyes. "I don't feel bad about killing Ruben, Kai. Really. I feel bad about turning into a monster, even for that brief moment. A few months ago, I was afraid to even kill a bug which wandered into my room. And now, I've mutilated someone."

I hated crying. I didn't want to cry and seem like a damsel in distress. I knew I wasn't the toughest career of the lot, but I hated being weak. I didn't want to have to depend of Kai for everything. But Ruben's death had shaken me to my depths. I couldn't even begin to describe how I felt.

When I'd seen Ruben hold the knife to Kai, I'd lost it. I'd ignored every ounce of pain I felt. All I felt was loathing. The knife seemed to move on its own. His fear-filled eyes still flashed in front of my face. I could still feel his blood as it splattered on my clothes. I could still feel the flesh as the knife dug into his body.

Kai had wrapped a bandage around my head and ear. My ear still throbbed, but the painkiller seemed to work. As it turned out, Ruben hadn't stabbed me too deep. He'd stabbed me in a way that I'd simply lost a lot of blood. However, with regular changes of bandages and immense care from Kai, I was much better. Yesterday I couldn't even move. Now I felt relatively less weak.

Kai hadn't moved from my side since that incident. We'd gotten some meager rations along with the painkillers as a sponsor gift, but we'd had to sleep on barely-filled stomachs, to preserve the food. Kai insisted on not leaving me until he was sure I could fend off an attacker at least until he came back.

I looked at the boy wrapping the bandage around my arm. Now, there was no doubt that Kai was probably the best-looking tribute in these Games. With his Golden-blonde hair, piercing gray eyes and sharp features, Kai was truly good-looking. And with his skill and athletic build, he was intimidating too.

But there was something more. Something he kept locked away. Kai wasn't a normal bloodthirsty career. I'd seen his expression when he'd killed the boy from Six. Remorse was washed all over his features. He may pretend to be uncaring and emotionless, but now, watching him gently wrapped the bandage around my arm, I knew Kai had a good heart. A heart capable of feeling.

"What?" he asked, barely looking up. "What do you mean, what?" I asked. Kai shrugged, still focused on the bandage. "You were staring at me." He said simply. I looked away, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Nothing."

I felt Kai take my face and turn me to face him. He looked concerned. "Hey, Anna. I know all this must be hard, and I know what-"

"I'm not broken Kai." I cut him off. "I know I'm not as emotionally strong as some others, but I'm not weak. I won't let Ruben's death break me, and I certainly won't let a few cuts break me either. I may not be the strongest tribute here, but I'm not helpless."

Kai was silent for a few moments. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I know you aren't. And I never said you were. Heck, Anna, you deserve more credit than I do. You killed a guy twice your size, and a year older than you. I've only managed to kill a fourteen-year-old who wasn't even half my height. So that crap about you not being as strong as others? Yeah, let's pretend you never said that okay? For the sake of my self-respect."

I couldn't help but chuckle. The laugh intensified, but it hurt my whole body, so I quickly quieted down. Kai was still grinning at me. "Told you I'd get you to laugh." He smirked. I shook my head, still smiling. He'd told me firmly that he'd get me to laugh no matter what happened. "Okay, you were right. Now, if you don't mind, I need some sleep. Being cut up in about a million different places demands sleep, ya' know?" I said. Kai didn't drop him smile, but he nodded.

I tried to rest my head against the rock on which I was leaning, but flinched. The place where Ruben had smashed my head against the roof after breaking my nose had left a bruise. Apparently Kai realized the same as he quickly scooted to leaning against the rock beside me. "Hey, I got you, okay?" He said softly. He took y head and leaned it against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer.

Right here, right now, I felt safer than I had the whole Games. Kai wasn't just an ally, he was a friend. He was the last remnant of home I had. I tilted my head up slightly and smiled at him. He siled back and reached up to push a stray strand of hair from my face. "Sleep you idiot. A million cuts demand sleep, remember?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper. I chuckled again and closed my eyes.

For the first time, my sleep was peaceful.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Hola again! Yeah, I know, I haven't updated since like, the Ice Age. I know, me exams are over, but still, I've been hella busy, and haven't gotten much time. Also, yeah, I know, no deaths. But I didn't want too many deaths in a row... so... yeah...**

 **OHMYGODS GUYS 422 REVIEWS YOU GUYS ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME. I mean, I loved reading each and every single one of your reviews. Every single one puts a huge smile on my face. Seriously, guys, thank you so much for all the support you guys've given me... it makes me so unbelievably happy, I can't even say.**

 **Oh and if you haven't you should go check out Mystical Pine Forest's story Articulosis. It's a really cool concept and they're a really REALLY good author. I feel honored having a tribute in their story. So yeah, go check it out cause it be awesome! :D**

 **So, what did you guys think of the fight between Lawson and Almiro? And what about Nick passing out for the second time? Oh and what do you think about Kai and Anna? Seriously, hearing your thoughts aboutmy writing makes me so so so SO incredibly happy! I'M SO HAPPY! AND YEAH! AND I'M GOING INTO RAMBLE MODE AGAIN. SHUT UP WIZARD.**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Blake**  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Dwayne**  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

 **Frankie-Leigh**

 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

 **Nick**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	37. Day Six: Part Two

**Day Six:**

 **Part Two:**

 **Frankie-Leigh Voltz(17)-D5 Female:**

I slashed through the trees as I grumbled lightly. Hunting was not only tiring, but every animal in the vicinity seemed to have abandoned its habitat. I'd briefly considered calling to the, but that would only make me look crazy.

"Curse you Absalom!" I yelled for the millionth time. I couldn't hate myself more. I knew trusting him was stupid, but I still had. Gods, I was an idiot. Now, he'd stolen all our supplies, and all I had was a measly knife and was stuck in a place where there were apparently no animals to hunt. All because of my stupid ally.

Suddenly, I felt the temperature of my surroundings rise. I slashed down another vine and froze in horror.

In front of me, there was nothing but lava. And the lava was slowly approaching me. It swallowed up everything in its path. The heat blasted my face, but I was rooted to the ground in horror. The lava went on in both directions, slowly moving closer to me. I staggered back, shocked beyond wits.

Without thinking any further, I turned on my heels and ran.

I didn't even care about how the trees and branches cut my face, I simply ran. I knew I shouldn't have been so scared by the lava, but something about the way it slowly inched closer freaked the crap out of me. It gave me the shivers, even though I was sweating.

I hadn't seen the person come in front of me until it was too late. I pummeled into them, sending the two of us sprawling.

"Ah, gods!" I yelled, as I tried to get up. I'd crashed into the ground, and my leg hurt pretty damn badly. I just hoped I hadn't twisted or broken anything. I cursed some more, when a voice cut through my thoughts.

"Frankie?"

I whipped my head around at the sound. The person I'd crashed into, was none other than my ex-ally himself, Absalom Sawyer.

Absalom stared at me with wide eyes, obviously unsure of what to do. he opened his mouth, then closed it again. I picked up my knife and got to my feet, my leg still throbbing. I took in his state. He had a bandage wrapped around his left shoulder, but otherwise looked unhurt. I sneered.

"Oh lookie here, would you? Our very own no good, two-faced piece of crap ally. How's everything with you nowadays?" I snapped. Absalom got to his feet and glared at me. "Look, I did what I did to survive." He stated. I almost dropped my knife in shock. "TO SURVIVE!? You freaking BETRAYED me!" I yelled. He flinched.

"No, I broke our alliance. And so far into the games, all the alliances are broken. Both of us know that only one person can walk out of here alive. Is it so bad that I want it to be me?" He asked. My eyes were moist, but it wasn't from sadness. It was from rage. How could he simply break my trust and then pretend it was nothing!? I readied my knife.

"Well then, since that's oh so very true, I guess we'll decide who that one is right now, eh?" I sneered again. Absalom looked wary. "I don't-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish. I threw myself at him, slashing and hacking. He blocked my strikes with his axe, but he was obviously taken by surprise. I stabbed at his injured collar, hoping to land a hit, but he caught my wrist and shoved me back.

He came at me, swinging his axe. I ducked and the weapon stuck itself in a tree. I took this opportunity to kick out his legs from beneath him, sending him falling back. His head hit the ground, and I stabbed down at him again. This time he simply moved his head to the side. He brought up his leg and kicked me in the stomach, sending me reeling back, coughing.

He yanked his axe out and swung again, this time finding a target in my leg. Thankfully his swing hadn't been too hard, or I'd be missing a leg. However, the thing still sunk to the bone. I screamed in pain and collapsed and he pulled it out. I stabbed my knife into his foot, and he too screamed, staggering back.

Suddenly, the sound of a low rumble interrupted our fight. I froze, hoping this wasn't what I thought it was.

Apparently my hopes were paid no attention, because right then, the ground in front of me developed a crack. As I watched a recap of the Bloodbath, the crack rapidly spread on both sides as the ground split apart once again. I stood petrified in fear as the edge retreated, coming towards me, swallosing everything in its path. From the steam that spewed from the crack, I knew what was down there.

The ground shook violently under my feet, knocking me off balance. I fell, and I could feel my feet go over the edge. I clawed at the ground to keep myself from falling in, but there was kothing I could hold onto. Fear gripped my whole body, threatening to numb my muscles. The steam from below burned my legs as I found myself dangling over the rapidly widening gulf.

"ABSALOM!" I screamed in desperation. As the edge retreated further and the crack widened, the ground fell away and I could feel myself falling. I grasped the air, but my hands felt nothing.

Suddenly I could feel my fall being stopped. I looked up to see Absalom holding onto my hand with his, trying his best to keep the two of us from falling in. "Hold on!" He yelled. "NO SHIT!"I yelled back.

I could see every muscle in his arm strain from holding me up. I clawed at the edge, trying to get a grip muself, but every time I reached for it, I found it further away. That's when the horrifying truth hit me.

The edge was still retreating.

Absalom tried to push himself away from the edge of the chasm, but doing that me up was impossible. Within moment, he was half-dangling too.

The steam burned my legs and singed my hair, but now another emotion overpowered fear within me.

Acceptance.

"Absalom." I said simply. He looked right at me, his features scrunched with strain.

"You have to let go."

He seemed shocked beyond wit at my request. "Are you freaking crazy!? NO!" He yelled back. He once again tried pushing himself away from the edge, but I could almost hear his wrist twist and he cried out in pain, but didn't let go.

"I'm going to pull both of us over. Just DO IT!" I was crying by now. I'd always thought I'd never be afraid in the face of death, but now that it was so close, I was consumed by fear. Sure, what I was requesting seemed heroic, but in my heart I knew I was onlh doing what anyone else would have. Even if I survived this, my legs were badly burnt and I'd probably be killed by some other trap or a tribute. And even if I didn't count the burns, Absalom's axe had cut to the bone. I stood no chance. The least I could do was save myself from having Absalom's death on my hands.

"Frankie... I'm sorry..." he managed. I'd never seen him so close to breaking down, but now, his eyes were moist. He was almost over the edge himself. I knew I didn't have much time left.

"Don't be. I don't care if you broke the alliance. You were still the best ally I could have asked for. And I want you to try and win. Now, you have to let me go Absalom." My sentence was barely heard over my hard breathing and sobs. Absalom lurched forward as his whole upper body went over the edge, but managed to push himself back. He gave me a look which apologize for all he'd done.

Then he let my hand go.

As the lava wrapped around me in a blanket of flames and pain, my last thought was of Home.

 _Boom._

 **Lisette Osborn(12)-D6 Female:**

"Come on we have to run faster!" Dwayne stumbled a bit as he said these words. The black fog that threatened to envelope us kept getting closer. I wasn't the fastest person, but even I was running slightly faster than Dwayne.

I was on the verge of tears. Dwayne was my only ally and he was dying. We'd assued the cut made by Raymond hadn't been that bad, but all that thought had gone away when we'd woken up this morning to find that the wound had turned a sickly green, along with every vein on Dwayne's chest. The green poison was slow, I knew enough about poisons to figure that out, but being the only thing that was keeping Dwayne alive, that was also a torture. Fast poisons usually killed painlessly. The slower the poison, the greater the torture.

Dwayne stumbled once again as the fog appeared on our right, almost surrounding us. We veered towards the only opening, Dwayne now clutching my shoulder. He was somewhat limping, but mostly just staggering.

I'd been trying to mend Dwayne's cut by some herbs I'd gathered, when the black fog had come from nowhere. It wasn't outright harmful, but we'd die from lack of air or oxygen. We'd been running for at least half an hour now, trying to escape it. Everytime we took a turn, the fog would be there. There would be measly openings in the body, but till now, we'd managed to veer away from it.

We made it to the edge of a clearing when Dwayne tripped on a tree root. I hurriedly ran back to pick him up, but stopped. The fog seemed to have started dissipating. As I watched, the black substance slowly faded from in front of us, until only small wisps remained. I shot Dwayne a confused glance.

I picked him up, and the two of us started to walk back from where we'd come, but suddenly, a wall of the fog erupted in front of us from nowhere, sending us reeling back in horror. The two of us backed up on all fours, but the fog was different. It didn't come any closer to us. It simply stayed there. It was as though it wanted to stop us from going away.

"Oh gods… I get it now…" Dwayne said, his voice hoarse. He wasn't completely weak, but he was slowly dying from the poison, and definitely had to be in pain. His eyes were on something in the clearing, and I followed his gaze. As it turned out, he was looking at a some _one_ not a something. I squinted slightly to get a closer look.

"Isn't that the boy from Ten?" I asked in a hushed whisper. The boy, Colt if I remembered rightly, didn't seem to hear us. He was hunched over and busy in something. Probably organizing his supplies or something. Beside me, Dwayne nodded and scoffed. "That's how low they've sunk?" He asked rhetorically to no one in general.

Now I was confused. For a moment I harbored the thought that Dwayne was going delirious, but that couldn't be. He wasn't so weak, he'd been running for almost half an hour. I looked at his torso. The green veins had spread to cover almost his whole front body, because they peeked out from the collar of his shirt. He didn't seem to be paying attention to that though.

"Dwayne, what do you mean?" I asked. Dwayne glared straight ahead, a low growl escaping his lips. Dwayne could be like this at times, and it frightened me. I didn't know what to make of him. Sometimes he could be sweet and caring, and at others, savage. When he'd killed Gigi, he'd seemed almost inhuman. And then there'd been that night under the tree when he couldn't have been further from Jace.

"It's the Gamemakers. They've been steering us here." he said simply. I looked forward to see Colt move onto another task. From what I figured, he was probably trying to cook something, and from the loud cussing that came from his direction, I was guessing he wasn't being all that successful.

"The last fight with Raymond? No one died. Yeah, I'm poisoned, but that's different. I'm guessing Pretty Boy over there hasn't been in many fights either. So the people want action. They steered us here using that fog, and I'm going to guess we're trapped until we fight. And this time, I'm pretty sure the Gamemakers will make sure it's a fight to the death."

I stared at Dwayne with wide eyes. Not only had he spoken outright against the Capitol, but he'd nonchalantly tossed the fact out there that we now needed to fight someone who had done absolutely nothing to harm us. I wondered why the Gamemakers had chosen Colt and the two of us, but the Gamemakers were whimsical and rarely had a reason.

"Dwayne, we can't. You're in no state to fight. And even if we take it that Colt's a completely useless fighter, which he so obviously isn't judging by his training score, that could seriously injure both of us." I reasoned. Dwayne shook his head. "Lisette, look at it this way. Even if it harms us, we'd be taking out competition. And Colt's no weakling. None of the remaining people are, maybe with the exception of that girl from Four. If I can take him out, maybe I'll impress the Capitol enough to get some sponsors." He shot back.

I sighed. Even though I seriously questioned Dwayne's logic, he was right about one thing. We had nowhere else to go. It was either fight Colt, or have a truce. And something told me the latter wasn't an option. Dwayne drew his huge knife from his belt, as I drew my smaller one. Dwayne put a hand on my shoulder. "Stay away from the fight. I don't want you getting hurt. Only if you see me dying, come at him from the back. Don't hesitate to kill, but otherwise stay away." He said. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and I could feel his skin become clammy through the sleeve of my shirt.

Dwayne walked into the clearing, and I marveled at how silent he could be. I also stepped out, trying my best to make no noise. He readied his knife and slowly made his way over to Colt. The boy still had his back turned, and Dwayne wasn't about to lose the element of surprise. He slashed downward with his knife as hard as he could, but taking him by surprise, Colt turned around in the last moment and lurched back. However, it wasn't before Dwayne landed a fair slash across his chest.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Colt exclaimed. Dwayne wiped off Colt's blood on his pant leg as Colt looked down at the gash on his chest in a mixture of surprise and horror. My breath hitched. I hated seeing people dying like this, but what scared me the most was how Dwayne was slowing down. Colt was injured and Dwayne was poisoned. I had no idea in whose favor this fight would go. However, Dwayne had my support, and Colt was alone. As despicable as it made me feel, I wouldn't hesitate to kill Colt if it meant saving Dwayne.

Dwayne slowly advanced on the boy from Ten. He obviously had lost his element of surprise, and Colt now held an assortment of small throwing knives. Dwayne chuckled bitterly. "Damn do I hate those things. See this?" he pulled up his shirt, exposing the disgusting pulsing veins the ran over his body, "Got 'em from a poisoned knife. It was that kid from Five. Raymond? Held knives similar to those."

"What the hell do you want, Dwayne? I haven't even done anything to you! And these knives aren't poisoned!" Colt said, obviously confused by the whole situation. He got to his feet, taking the support of a nearby boulder. The cut on his chest wasn't a fatal one, but it was definitely deeper than the one Dwayne had received. Dwayne sneered.

"You think I want this? The Gamemakers do, Colt. They led us here using black fog. And they won't let us go until this ends in at least one death. It's the sixth day and only eleven people have died. The Capitol's getting bored, Colt." With that, Dwayne stabbed down at Colt's shoulder. Colt leapt out of the way and threw a knife at Dwayne, landing it in his thigh. He tried to make a dash for it, but Dwayne tackled him into the ground from behind. He pinned Colt to the ground and yanked out the knife from his thigh.

"Sorry about this mate." He said. He placed the knife on Colt's neck, obviously about to slit his throat, when from nowhere, Colt's fist connected with Dwayne's face. The older boy threw him off and stuck the knives in his belt, readying two long slender ones in his hands. His expression was defiant and angry. "I told Siobhan this at the bloodbath, and now I'm telling you. I won't be taken out that easily."

Despite being a year younger than him, Dwayne matched Colt in both height and build. He slashed at Colt, but the latter caught the strike on the hilt of his dagger. He threw Dwayne off and threw a knife at him. Dwayne ducked and the knife embedded itself in a tree. Colt swung his other knife at Dwayne, advancing, but Dwayne managed to maneuver himself out of harm's way. Colt ducked Dwayne's next swing and pulled his knife out of the tree before rolling away.

This put him directly in front of where I currently hid behind a tree. Colt and Dwayne stood still, sizing each other up, as Dwayne caught my eye. He didn't say anything, but I knew what he was trying to tell me. I hesitated for a moment, taking in Dwayne's condition.

He looked terrible. He swayed on his feet. The green veins had now spread to cover almost his whole arms. His eyes were completely red, and he looked paler than ever. The wound on his chest was now worse than before. And though Colt hadn't landed any fatal wounds, I knew the cause of this. The exertion of the fight was causing the poison to spread more rapidly. However, I couldn't wait. Dwayne needed my help.

As silently as I could, I crept out from behind the tree. Dwayne slammed his knife forward, but Colt met it with his own. However, this engaged his weapon, giving me the opportunity I needed. I slashed at Colt from behind, but somehow he'd sensed it. He lurched forward, but I'd gotten a good slash at his back, just like Dwayne had in front. But before he could turn, I jumped up to slam the hilt of my knife into his head.

Colt crumpled to his knees, crying out in pain. To my surprise, Dwayne did too. I looked at him to see black blood flowing from his mouth. He turned to the side and threw up more blood, the sickening black color staining the grass. Distracted by his state, I hadn't noticed how much Colt had recovered. He slammed me backwards into a tree, but not hard enough to injure me. He glared at me. "Stay out of this." He managed, his voice hurt and weakened. He turned back towards Dwayne.

"I could kill you right here, right now." He said. Dwayne was now leaning against a rock, the green veins worse than ever and covering his whole body in a disgusting web. As I watched in horror, more blood spurted from his mouth. Colt recoiled, obviously horrified at the situation of the boy in front of him. Dwayne fixed Colt with a look I didn't understand.

"I know what you're going to say. You're going to walk away from this fight, aren't you?" He managed. Colt seemed too shocked to respond properly. "Dwayne, I-" Dwayne cut him off.

"Please, just listen to me." He begged. I was frozen in my spot in horror, disgust and shock. My ally shut his eyes, as black blood brimmed in them. "If you leave now, you'll be sparing my life, only to condemn to a much more painful death. So, even though I know I have no right to ask anything of you, I do. As a fellow tribute, Colt, I ask one thing of you." He said. Colt knelt in front of him, his eyes wide. "Dwayne-"

"End it quickly."

Dwayne's words took me back. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Dwayne was… no, it couldn't be. Colt's jaw dropped. "What!?" He exclaimed. Dwayne lurched, throwing up more blood. He screamed as blood started flowing out from the corners of his eyes. I wanted to turn away from his state. The poison Raymond had given him must have been manufactured. No natural poison could do this.

"Colt, please. I beg of you. Please, just end this torture." Dwayne was crying now, but I couldn't differentiate between the blood flowing from his eyes, and the tears. "You have no idea what torture I'm going through, please. If you have an ounce of mercy, please. Just… put me out of my misery…" With that, Dwayne reached out and grabbed the hand in which Colt held his knife, pulling the other boy closer to him. "I can't ask Lisette to do it, she's only twelve. And I can't do it myself. I know, I'm a coward for asking you, but I am. Please."

Colt's face hardened. Every trace of the happy-go-lucky outgoing boy I'd seen previously was gone. We'd all been broken by the Games. Every single one of us. Seeing Colt's knife on Dwayne's chest, I was broken out of my stupor.

"NO!" I yelled. Dwayne turned to me sharply. "Lisette STAY BACK!" He yelled, leading to more blood coming out from his mouth. I'd never seen a more disgusting state of a person. He turned to Colt once more, his eyes pleading for mercy. Colt exhaled.

"You're not a coward Dwayne. If anything, you're the bravest tribute I've encountered so far." He said, his voice breaking. Dwayne didn't say anything, or rather couldn't. His eyes were now completely bloodshot, and the black stuff flowing from them covered his whole face. He tried to form a word, but couldn't.

Before I could move, Colt sunk his dagger into Dwayne's chest.

A scream retched my throat raw as I ran forward. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't have lost my only remaining ally. Reached Dwayne, only to see him shoot Colt a grateful look through all the blood.

"Thank… you…"

 _Boom._

I was screaming louder than ever, holding Dwayne's bloodied broken body. Colt sunk his head, his hand slowly leaving the dagger in Dwayne's chest. I'd just seen my ally be killed in front of me. Be it mercy-kill or not, Colt had still killed Dwayne. I rounded on him as I heard the sound of an approaching hovrcraft. They were here because of him.

"YOU KILLED HIM! ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME TOO!?" I yelled, shoving Colt back. Weakened from the wounds on his back and chest, he didn't fight me. "Lisette, I-"

"I'll fight you okay!?" I held out my dagger. I stabbed it down, but in a swift maneuver, Colt grabbed my wrist. "I don't want to fight you!" He yelled. I barely comprehended his statement. All I was seeing was red. He'd killed Dwayne, and that was enough to make me want to kill him.

However, before I could do anything, a rustle of leaved made me look straight ahead.

"COLT!"

 **Nova Pines(13)-D10 Female:**

I stood petrified at the edge of the clearing. The sound of a cannon had sent me running back from where I'd been looking for water. And now, what I saw made me happy that I'd come back.

Leaning against a rock was the blood-covered body of the boy from Eleven. I could see a hovercraft in the distance. He had a knife sticking out of his chest, a knife I was pretty sure belonged to Colt. My district partner himself was on the ground, a gaping wound on his back, holding the wrist of the girl from six, as she held a knife.

I didn't even wait to comprehend what had happened. Colt pushed Lisette back, but she looked a little unstable. I guessed the boy who'd died had been her ally. She came at Colt again, but he rolled out of the way. I decided I'd seen enough. I pulled out my knife from my belt and readied it. Colt caught my movement. "Nova, NO!" He screamed. But my knife was already flying at the girl from Six, as she simply stood there in horror.

Then, out of nowhere, Colt pulled her out of the way. However, the sheer momentum landed him in the way of my knife. He let out a scream as it embedded itself in his shoulder. My heart leapt into my throat as I ran forward. "COLT YOU IDIOT!" I screamed. As I approached the two, Colt was still holding Lisette by her shoulders, the latter looking both horrified and shocked beyond belief. I could hear Colt rasp out one word to her.

"Run."

Lisette may have been shocked, but the girl was definitely stronger than I'd given her credit for. She didn't hesitate before turning on her heels and taking off.

Colt started to fall back, but I caught him. However, he was somewhat athletic and a whole head taller than me. I sat down by the force of both of our weights. "Oh my god…" I choked out. I pulled out the knife from Colt's shoulder, and he flinched. Thankfully the knife I'd thrown was relatively small, otherwise this would have been a fatal wound. I pulled Colt away as the hovercraft descended to pick up The broken body of the boy from Eleven.

"Colt, if you weren't so badly injured, I'd have slapped the mickey out of you right now." I exclaimed. I reached out for my bag of supplies as I leaned him against a tree. I fished out some rubbing alcohol and two rolls of bandage. "What the HELL were you thinking!?" I demanded. Colt shut his eyes.

"I couldn't let her die. Not after I'd just killed her ally…" He managed. I froze. "You… what?" I mean, I'd sort of thought it, but hearing Colt say it made it seem so much more real. He'd just killed someone. He nodded and told me what had happened between ragged breaths.

"Alright, now shut up. I need to patch you up before you lose too much blood. You're not dying on me if I can help it." I stated firmly. Colt, to my surprise, managed a small smile. But it wasn't his regular sweet smile. It was broken and filled with hurt. Colt was trying to stay the same cheerful Colt he was, but there was no denying the effect the Games had on us.

Suddenly, a sound made me stop again. It was a growl, and it was close.

"Shit." I cursed, as I picked up my knife. With Colt half-dead, I was in no state to fend off mutts by myself. I turned around to see three wolves approaching me, fangs bared as their mouths frothed. I didn't know whether to be horrified or disgusted. I readied my knife as the first wolf leapt at me.

Sweeping my head out of the way of its fangs, I buried my knife to the hilt in its head. The light in its eyes went dark, as it fell to the floor, dead. I was almost shocked at how fast and easily it had been taken out, when I noticed the other two. They were just about twice the size of the first one, and much more scary.

The one on the left lunged at me, but I rolled out of the way. I tried to get to my feet, but the other tackled me back down. I stabbed my knife into its stomach, but unfortunately, I didn't immediately kill it. It pinned me to the ground, and before I could even cry out, it sank its fangs into my skin, just above my collarbone.

A guttural yell escaped my throat as it drew its fangs back out. I could hear Colt scream my name. I stabbed my knife into the mutt again as it retreated. The other one tried to come at me, but a knife landed in its head, and it stopped. It didn't die, instead, turned to where the knife had come from, which happened to be Colt. He was clutching his shoulder, but it was his right one. Colt was a leftie. The mutt bounded up to him, as I stood there helpless.

That's when the axe came. It was as though it had been there one moment, but the next, it was taking the mutt's head off. The headless thing collapsed on the ground, as the thrower yanked it out.

"Miss me?" Nick smirked at the two of us. That's when she seemed to notice the other mutt, and Colt's state, and the bite on my shoulder, and her smirk promptly faded. "Right, yeah, never mind." She said.

The other mutt, apparently lamenting the loss of its friend leapt at Nick. But the girl was faster than I'd thought. She side-stepped the thing and slammed the blade of her axe into its neck. She pulled it out as it slumped to the floor. "Learn a lesson from your dead friend. Stay away from axe-wielding crackpots, aka Nick Noelle." She said as she struck again, this time in its head. I didn't even have to look to see it was dead.

I crawled over to Colt, still holding my wound. Nick sized us up. "Wow, jeez, I leave and you two are half-dead. I mean, what the actual hell happened here!?" She asked, kneeling down next to us. Colt briefed her in about his run-in with Dwayne and Lisette, and her eyes grew wide. "You… killed…" she shook her head. "So why do you have a gaping wound on your chest and what seems like another two on your back and shoulder?" she asked.

"That's because he's an idiot." I put in. Nick raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no, I asked for details of what happened, not facts." She said. I was about to answer, when Colt let out a small chuckle. It wasn't much, but it made me smile. I had hopes. I really hoped Colt wouldn't let his kill affect him. I turned to Nick and told her what happened. She looked thoughtful.

"Right. So you are an idiot." She said, pointing at Colt. The she picked up her axe. "Now, now, don't worry your little heads. I'm not here for an alliance. I'm going, so-" She was cut off by Colt tackling her into a hug. He quickly pulled away and glared at her. "You leave again, and I'll have a second kill on my hands." He said. Nick seemed shocked for a moment before smirking. "A simple 'I missed you' would've done, but the killing thing's good too." She said. Colt and I both let out small raspy laughs.

I started working on Colt's wound again as Nick pointed at the bite on my shoulder. "You should treat that with something. Who knows, maybe now you have lycanthropy?" She didn't seem to ever drop that smirk of hers. I rolled my eyes. "Hey, how'd you find us anyway?" I asked. She shrugged. "I've been stalking the two of you since the alliance broke off." She tossed out.

Colt and I both stared at her. She scrunched up her features. "Yes, that was sarcasm, jeez. That's creepy as eff. I was simply walking around with a run-in with a man-eating stream and disgusting vines, when I heard you screaming, so I decided to entertain my curiosity." She answered. I opened my mouth to ask something, but closed it again. Some things were better unknown.

Colt had stopped talking and was simply staring off into the side. I was worried about him. He may have been putting on a smile, but Dwayne's death had shaken him up. I held his hand. "Hey, get some sleep. I'll patch you up." I told him. He simply looked at me with a faraway look in his eyes. "Yeah…" He managed.

He must have been more injured and exhausted than he was letting on, for he leaned his head against the tree and quickly passed out. I got to work with bandaging up his wounds.

"I'm glad you're back. You make us laugh. And after what happened, we need that." I told Nick. She smiled at me. Not a smirk or a sneer. A genuine smile. "Yeah. Glad to be back too. Now concentrate on that. I'll keep guard. No one gets past the crackpot axe wielding me."

 **Five hours earlier:**

 **Thaddeus Sheen- Gamemaker/ Head of Traps and Mutts:**

Thaddeus sat with his hands clenched tightly together and his head dipped low. His eyes were slightly red, though from anger or concentration, he didn't know. He had never hated someone as much as he hated Heathers. Even Leor seemed slightly less bloodthristy in comparison. He could still see the faces of the Gamemaker and his sister with the gaping bullet wounds in their heads. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew the guy. Alistair O'Connoly. He was mere years older than Thaddeus himself, and the two were well-aquanited.

The creaking open of the door to his suite yanked Thaddeus out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Dane Evans walk through the door uncertainly, as though unsure of his actions. Thaddeus didn't bother with grettings. He simply pointed at the chair in front of him and said "Sit."

"Thaddeus Sheen, right? Dane Evans." The younger boy extended a hand, which Thaddeus shook. "I know who you are Dane, why else do you think I called for you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Dane went slightly red, but grinned awkwardly all the same. Thaddeus took a moment to look at the boy in front of him. Dane was seven years his junior, the victor of the most recent Games. The two couldn't be more different than the other. Dane was shy, sweet and somewhat naïve. Thaddeus was mature, and let anger keep him anchored to his decisions. But there was something in the two that was similar. Both had an unfaltering want to help people, and both hated mindless slaughter.

Thaddeus felt a small smile grace his lips. He glanced up at Dane.

"How's District Five? Is Old Jelly Joe still selling those cakes?" He asked. Dane seemed understandably taken aback. "W-What?" He stuttered. He seemed to catch himself and nodded. "Yeah, things are pretty good in Five... I mean it was never the most dandy district, but its stil home. Joe's still selling those cakes, but how did you know?" He asked.

Thaddeus shot him a confused look. "Dane, I'm _from_ District Five, remember? Of course I'd know..." he said. Dane paused for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. "Oh, right. Now I remember. It's just, I've always seen you in the Capitol, and-"

"You forgot I'm not really one of them. Well, I'd think the lack of an alien-like getup was a giveaway, but..." Thaddeus caught himself. Nostalgia had no place in this situation right now. He took a deep breath. "Sorry, I got off track there. So, I've heard your Father worked as a mechanic?" He asked Dane.

Dane stared at him. "You mean the Father that disowned me when I came back a Victor because he though I was a psycho? Well, he used to be. Now I don't even know if he's alive." The bitterness in his voice could not be ignored. Thaddeus reached out and patted his shoulder. "I understand. I was treated the same way when I came back. Seven kills isn't the most pleasant thing we look for in a person, eh?"

"But why'd you ask that?" Dane looked back up. Thaddeus grinned lightly. "Well, I've also heard you've got a way with machines. And I don't just mean repairing them. I sae your interview. You said that the hobby you'd taken up was making small contraptions?" It was more of a rhetorical question than one that needed an answer.

Dane nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"Well, I'm going to need you to make me a machine." Thaddeus cut in. Dane looked unsure. "Well, it depends. If its like a rocket ship, then that's a little out of my reach." He stated. Thaddeus laughed without humor. "No Dane. I need you to make me an anti-camera device."

Dane's expression went from bewildered to outright shocked. "I assume you know what that is?" Thaddeus asked. Dane nodded. "Yeah, it shoots a coded lazr ray into the wiring of the camera, disabling the lens. But why do you need me to make it? Those aren't all that uncommon..."

Thaddeus nodded. "I know. But a Gamemaker buying an anti-camera device arouses suspicion, don't you think?" He smirked. Dane looked a bit suspicious himself. "Yeah, it does. So, why do you need it anyway?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"That's a long story. For now, just tell me, will you make it or not?" Thaddeus' patience was wearing thin. Dane sat back and crossed his arms. "I have time." He said stubbornly.

Thaddeus glared at the boy in front of him. He was about to snap back some snarky remark, but stopped himself. Dane's doubts were justified. He took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. He couldn't let emotions get the better of him. He looked back at Dane.

He slowly explained everything. The Parasite, the incident with Kay, Regina knowing the code, and how the Capitol planned on unleashing the virus on Thirteen. By the end, Dane was staring at him slack-jawed with wide eyes. "Oh my god..." was all the boy managed. Thaddeus nodded. "Exactly. All those people in Thirteen are going to die, and the virus won't stop there. It'll probably take out three or four outer districts too. Thousands of people are going to die, unless we can stop it. But to do that, I need your help. Will you help me?"

Dane was quiet for a few moments. Thaddeus could see him contemplating it in his mind. But if there was one thing he knew about Dane it was that the boy would never back away when someone needed help. Dane looked back at Thaddeus.

"I'll help you. But to stop the virus, we need the code, and without Regina, we don't have that. I can't make a safe-breaker..." he said. Thaddeus couldn't stop the relieved smile that broke through his worried expression. He laughed and patted Dane's shoulder again.

"I knew you'd help me. As for the safe-breaking, you leave that to me. I have a plan."

 **~.~.~**

 **A/N: Gods. This chapter was... I can't even say. I'm on the verge of crying and I hate myself. I'm not gonna lie, it was extremely interesting to write, but... I'm so so sorry. Yeah, I know. I'm a terrible person to these tributes.**

 **But, on another note, two chapter in two days! Yay! I mean, I dunno, but yeah. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Hope this makes up for the lack of deaths I have. Don't worry, more deaths are coming. More times that my heart's gonna break.**

 **What did you guys think of Frankie's death? And what about Dwayne's? What do you think Lisette will do now? And Nick's back with District Ten! What do you think will happen? Tell me what you guys thought because I freaking love hearing your thoughts so much! And please tell me how I can improve! I'm completely open to suggestions!**

 **Oh and for some reason, the formatting isn't working, but Nick is back with District Ten. I'lm keep trying, but it shows them separate in the death list. Just wanted to clear that up.**

 **Also, on the sole Happy note in this Author's Note, Yes, I will be writing a sequel. I'll be putting it up about a week or so after this one gets over, and it'll be called Ashes of Time: the 58th Hunger Games. What do you guys think of the title? Yech or yay? Also, just putting this out there, the sequel will be a teensy bit different, writing-wise, most probably. But yeah, I will be writing a sequel. Now I'll go back to feeling horrible.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Frankie-Leigh Voltz: EMBER I AM SO SORRY! I loved Frankie, really. She was a very unique character and had one of the most unique reasons for volunteering. I loved her spirit and attitude. However, the poll votes were not really in her favor. She made it this far because I saw scope for character developement, but at this point, I didn't know how to develop her any further. I'm so so so sorry for this, and Frankie will be missed. RIP...**

 **Dwayne McCane: Oh man, this was one of the hardest deaths till now. Deny, I'm so freaking sorry for this. Dwayne was an amazing character. He was different from the regular tributes we see from Eleven, and had a tragic backstory, but still kept his wits about him. However, I simply didn't see what I could do to develop him further, without making it seem like I was dragging it. He was one of the best and most interesting characters to write for, and he will be dearly missed. RIP...**

 **These just keep getting effin' harder. Damned attachment...**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Blake**  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Nick**

Dwayne-12th- Poisoned by Raymond Tate, mercy-killed by Colt Marshal  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
 **Lisette**

Frankie-Leigh-13th-killed by Volcano (Gamemaker trap)

 **Absalom**

 **Raymond**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	38. Day Seven: Part One

**Day Seven:**

 **Part One:**

 **Blake Coleman(17)- D12 Male:**

No matter how fast I walked, no matter how careful I was, the lava was always approaching me. It burned through everything in its path. The ruins of the ancient city melted, the trees fell in and disappeared. It hadn't taken me long to figure out what was happening to the arena.

The Gamemakers were slowly destroying the arena.

The lava was consuming it, like the water had last year's arena. And though I hadn't seen much of the lava in the previous days, it was obvious that the speed had now increased. I understood the reason behind that too.

It was the seventh day, and not many people were dead yet. I knew it made me seem like a cold-hearted maniac, but it was the truth. By this time last year, they were into the final four, and the tributes had been battling it out in the remnant of the arena. I shuddered, remembering the battle between the final two.

I'd been walking for a while now. The physical exercise kept y mind from wandering to Avena. However, the more I tried to take my mind off of it, the worse it felt.

Her mangled body, her flesh in my arms. The way the knife had felt when I'd sunk it into her chest. How her ribs had cracked due to the blade. And worst of all, her relieved smile when the end came. She'd wanted her death. That's how horrible the situation had been. She'd wanted herself dead. I couldn't help but hate the gamemakers. They were beyond heartless.

I shook my head. Thinking such thoughts would be of no help to anyone. I'd had a resolution, and I was going to stick to it. I wouldn't let emotions drive me away from my goal of reaching home. I needed to make it back home. For my family, for everyone else I cared about. Heck, even for Avena and Eva.

I wiped some more sweat off my brow. My shirt clung to my thin frame with perspiration. So far, I hadn't found any source of water, but with the lava approaching, I didn't know if it was safe. I was rationing the water I had left over from my pack and Avena's, but it wouldn't last me long. However, with the speed at which the lava was consuming the arena, I had a feeling the arena itself wouldn't last much long either.

Suddenly the lava behind me bubbled, and some of it landed on my pant leg. I screamed in pain and fell to the ground. I hurriedly crawled as far away from it as possible, but I couldn't put much distance between it and myself. I took a moment to slow down and examine the burn on my calf.

It was horrible. Pain floured up from the spot. I didn't dare touch it. It was definitely more than a second-degree burn, and it needed treating. The lava had melted through the fabric of my pants and burned away the first few layers of skin. The burn itself was about the size of my pinkie, long and thing, where the lava had rolled down my leg before I'd collapsed. I shut my eyes, blinking away tears.

The line of lava was still approaching me. I picked up my supplies and groped against a tree. I needed to keep moving. Hurt or not, I had to keep moving. I didn't want to be charbroiled in lava.

However, just as I got up and started walking away, the trees of the small clearing rustled, somewhere to my left. I froze completely, expecting the worst. A figure somewhat stumbled through the lining and fell into the clearing. He looked up at my face, frozen in now shock and fear.

"Well, isn't this just freaking brilliant." Absalom Sawyer said, picking himself off the ground.

I almost shrunk back, and probably would have had there not been a whole line of lava which was much more intimidating than Absalom, behind me. The guy had a good five inches on me, maybe more, and his arms were probably twice the size of my own. His axe frightened me the most, though. I could pretend to be all brave and fearless, but seeing that thing, which was probably larger than my head, I wanted to turn and bolt.

Stupid lava.

"Uhm, Absalom, right?" I asked tentatively. He nodded. "And you're Blake, I'm guessing? The guy from Twelve?" he asked rhetorically. I gave him a nod of my own.

We simply stood there for a moment. He definitely noticed the lava line, just didn't say anything. It was about fifteen yards behind me now, going slightly slower than before. Oh, good. The Gamemakers slowed down the lava so that they wouldn't miss out anything fun. Joy, really.

I exchanged a wary look with the boy in front of me. "Do we really have to do this?" I asked. He thought for a moment, even though I knew what the answer was going to be. "Blake, so far into the games, there are no options for truces, and if you're looking for an alliance, I' so freaking done with those. The last time I had a truce the girl stabbed my shoulder the moment I turned around, and the last time I had an alliance, my ally fell into lava and I couldn't save her. So no thank you, I'd like absolutely none of those."

I exhaled. I pulled out two of the biggest knives I had and poised myself. The lava was moving much slower now, but I doubted it would stay that way if we didn't fight soon. My heart was thumping in my chest. So far the only dangerous situation I'd been in were Gamemakers traps and mutts. Knowingly fighting another tribute head on was definitely not my forte.

I took a moment to examine my opponent. Sure, he was big, probably the tallest in these games. But I could see the bandage on his shoulder and his bloodied foot was not lost on me either. His injuries would definitely slow him down, and there was my advantage. I may have been about a head shorter than him and much more frail, but I was much faster than him.

He swung first.

I ducked out of the way of the axe swing and fell to the ground on my knees, driving my knife into his leg. He yelled in pain, but I'd underestimated his agility. He swung his axe back and impaled it in my calf, right where I'd gotten the burn.

I just about blacked out from pain. I couldn't even hear my own screaming in my ears. The two of us fell away, cradling our injuries. But we weren't inactive for long.

He threw his axe at me, but I rolled out of the way. He was going on the offensive and I needed to be careful. He leapt at me and pinned me to the ground, wrenching one of the knives out of my hand. He reached up and yanked out his axe from the ground by its handle.

Being pinned down by a guy double your size was not fun, let me assure you. He pressed his forearm onto my neck, the arm holding the axe. The other arm pinned my wrist away from my face, making it impossible for me to use my remaining knife.

I was running out of breath with the force by which he was pressing down on my neck. to my (somewhat) relief, he let go of my neck, but even that was short lived, for he held the axe about two inches away from my face. His eyes were emotionless and blank. I had a feeling he'd seen death too, and it had affected him. Quite possibly his ally. I knew for a fact my expression wasn't that emotionless. Abject terror, after all, was an emotion.

However, I wasn't going to give up too soon. I brought my head up and banged my skull into his. My forehead crashed into his nose, and I could feel it breaking. He immediately rolled off of me, clutching his broken nose, giving me chance to scramble to my feet and ready my knife.

Absalom didn't waste too long on his nose. He hefted his axe again and swung. I blocked it with my dagger, but the force was enough to knock me off my feet. I hastily straightened my position, but it had given enough time to someone as ready as Absalom to dig out his opportunity.

He swung the axe with a yell, aiming for what must have been my heart. I threw myself to the ground sideways in an attempt to evade his weapon. However, though he hadn't hit my heart, the blade embedded itself in my thigh.

It sunk to the bone and buried itself in there. I could feel the bone of my leg crack. It hadn't severed my leg, but it might as well have, with the amount of pain that shot through me. In desperation I picked up a nearby rock and threw it at his face. I knew it hit when he let out a cry and stumbled back.

I was crying now. I knew I looked pathetic, but I was in way too much pain. One look at my leg and I knew that would only be fixed if I was the victor. Heck even then, they might have to amputate it. The blade had stuck itself in the bone right above my knee. My left leg was now totally useless. First the burn, now the axe. Pain was now an emotion I was so familiar with, I didn't know what it would be like without it.

But no matter how much pain I was in, I fought to stay conscious. I forced myself to ignore everything. Ignore the blood, the mess, the weapon, and the agony. I reached forward and wrapped my fingers around the handle of the weapon. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

With a bone-chilling yell, I pulled the axe out of my leg.

The pain from before was nothing compared to what it felt right then. But now, I was used to it. It seemed like mildly hurtful to me. Tears were now a part of my face. I turned my gaze to Absalom and recoiled in horror.

My stone had hit his eye.

That's why he'd been away from me this whole time. He had both hands over his eye and was trying to stop the blood that flowed through his fingers. He glared at me with his good eye. My mouth dropped open in shock. What had I done?

He tried to get up, but stumbled. He was clearly in as much pain as I was. The wound I'd inflicted before obviously wasn't a small one. But there was something in his face that I didn't understand.

Defeat.

His eyes travelled down to the weapon in my hands, and now I understood.

I held his axe. He was weaponless.

I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the pangs of pain that shot through me. I limped over to Absalom, who now knelt before me, still clutching his eye. We were both bloodied messes. Absalom looked too hurt to cry while tears streamed down my face. He looked up at me. "Make it quick." Were his only words. My left leg felt numb from all the pain. Red now covered the edges of my vision. I lifted the axe.

"I'm sorry Absalom. But only one of us can win."

I swung the axe straight into his heart.

Blood spurted out of his mouth and he fell forward. I pulled the axe back out and dropped it to the ground beside me, staggering back. I couldn't believe what I'd just done. I'd… I'd…

Absalom looked at me. His eye that I'd injured was so bloodied, I couldn't even make out what had happened. However, his good eye held something close to a mixture of defiance and acceptance.

"Blake, _no one_ wins the Games."

He fell forward as the cannon blew.

 _Boom._

I leaned against a tree and tried to catch my breath. I didn't want to pass out from pain. I really didn't. I tore off my shirt, exposing the sweaty, disgusting undershirt I wore. I wrapped my shirt around my leg, as the hovercraft appeared to carry away the boy from Seven. The whole time, only one thought ran through my mind.

I'd just killed someone else.

 **Lawson Dean(18)-D2 Male:**

"Dammit!" I yelled as my knife lodged itself in yet another vine. I grumbled for the millionth time about how hot and annoying this forest was, when the sound of a cannon made me flinch.

Another person dead, another kill I didn't have.

I wondered who it was. I surely hoped it wasn't Almiro back at camp. He'd agreed to let me go hunting for food, as long as I didn't do anything, to quote him, 'insanely, dramatically and historically stupid'. And I thought I was the exaggerating one.

I froze. Could that have been…

No, I refused to believe that had been Lisette's cannon. She couldn't have died.

I shook my head. Since when had I started thinking these thoughts? I wasn't supposed to care for anyone. Okay, fine, Almiro was an exception. He was my ally and had managed to save my life multiple times. And if I was completely honest with myself, I wasn't looking forward to seeing Anna or Kyle's face up there either. Kyle was a worthy opponent, and probably the only one who would give me the fight I wanted. Almiro was way too noble for that. As much as I wanted to kill Kyle, I couldn't deny the fact that he was a very worthy opponent. And Anna was way too sweet. Too sweet for her own good. I hadn't had many interactions with her, but we'd always treated each other with respect and politeness.

Great, so much for not caring about anyone.

But these were logical. I mean, we'd initially been allies. The fact that I cared what happened to Lisette was something that baffled me. All she'd done was help me once with my injured arm. Why in the world should I care? And _did_ I care?

Yes. I definitely did. I couldn't deny it. Not to myself. I had no idea why. Maybe because she was so innocent. Maybe because she'd helped me out of the good of her heart. Sure, I wasn't exactly the most chivalrous or emotional person out there, but even I valued a true heart. And Lisette had one. She was only twelve, a mere child. While thinking of someone near my age dying wasn't all that terrible, for it had to be done in order for me to return; thinking about someone that young dying was horrible. I wasn't above killing, but killing a child was despicable, and even I thought so.

I sighed. God, what had I gotten myself into?

I'd thought Almiro would have told me to off Lisette or something. He'd done the exact opposite. He'd told me how I showed heart by helping her and that he was proud to have me as an ally. I'd stared at him as though he'd dropped from space, and he'd simply smacked the back of my head. As it turned out, He shared the same thoughts I did.

I stopped in my tracks. Was that… crying?

I listened closely. Yes, it definitely was. Coming from somewhere in the foliage of the trees. I readied my sword. Usually stuff like this ended in the unfortunate tribute meeting some horrible mutt and dying. I could have simply run away, but if this was a mutt, then there was no way it would leave me alone. Either that, or the gamemakers would find a more grotesque way of killing me. I didn't really fancy either all that much. I slowly walked towards the sound of the crying.

It sounded like a little girl. I gulped. This wasn't looking good. However, I couldn't turn back now, when I was almost to the tree. I stepped in front of it, my sword ready to stab down, when the person turned and screamed.

"Lisette!?"

She didn't quit screaming. I realized I had my sword tip about inches from her face and quickly pulled it away. I stood rooted to my place. What in the name of God was going on? It seemed like irony that I would encounter Lisette after thinking about her. But currently, my thoughts weren't all that important.

Lisette didn't even look at me. She simply buried her face in her hands and started sobbing again. I stood there awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. However, when she started shaking with her sobs, I knew I had to step in. I couldn't simply stand there watching her wail. Sure, I could've walked away, or killed her then and there, but at this point, I'd pretty much established it that I wasn't going to be killing Lisette. I sighed softly and knelt down next to her. I could pretty much hear Shaunya laughing her butt off at the screen and Alex shaking his head, disappointed. Tributes from Two were supposed to be hard-hearted killers who brought glory to their district. Siobhan had been killed by a scrawny twelve-year-old, and I was comforting a sobbing little girl. Yeah, not the most valiant bunch.

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind. "Hey, Lisette, what happened?" I asked. She didn't answer me. She simply threw her arms around me and buried her face in my neck. I was startled, to say the least, and completely froze for a moment. Give me a charging tribute, I'd be ready as hell. Give me a crying little girl who was hugging me, I had no idea what to do. Lisette's tears wet my shirt as she sobbed.

Hesitantly, I brought my arms up and hugged her back. I gently stroked her hair. I didn't want to say anything. I didn't know what had happened, but I figured Lisette simply needed to cry it out.

After a few moments, she pulled back. I held her by the shoulders. "Hey, wanna tell me what happened?" I asked in a voice softer than I'd ever imagined speaking to someone with. I hadn't even thought myself capable of doing that. Lisette looked up at me, still shaking from her cries.

"Dwayne… he's.. he's dead…" She broke down once again. "Dwayne? The boy from Eleven? Was he your ally?" I asked. Lisette managed a nod. "Raymond, h-he poisoned him, and Dwayne tried fighting with Colt, but the poison was killing him from inside, so h-he had to beg C-Colt to mercy-kill him…" she said through her sobs. I clenched my jaw. There was no way I could comfort her on this. As sweet and innocent as Lisette was, she was in the Games.

"Lisette, look at me." I ordered, picking her face up by her chin. She sniffled, but didn't resist. I gave her a soft, but firm look. "Look, we're in the Hunger Games. People are going to die, and you have to accept that. I know what it feels like. I lost Siobhan too. In fact, Raymond killed her too. But I've killed Isaac as well. I'm sure Dwayne's slate wasn't clean either. People are going to die Lisette, and as cruel as it makes e sound, Dwayne's death brought the two of us closer to home. Losing you ally is hard, I know. But it's a price we have to pay for returning."

"Why're you helping me then?" She asked. It wasn't snaky, or sarcastic. It was genuine curiosity.

 _I've been asking myself the same damn thing_ , I thought. I opened my mouth to come up with some lame excuse, when somewhere to my left, a blast of fire interrupted me.

"SHIT!" I cursed, shooting to my feet, yanking Lisette up with me. Before I could gather my wits, another blast happened, this time to my right, much closer. I'd caught a glimpse of what had happened.

Fireballs.

Cursed Gamemakers. I'd never known a more bloodthirsty Head Gamemaker than Bruce Heathers. The guy would eat his own foot for a good show. As I watched, another ball came hurtling straight at us. I wrapped my arm around Lisette and pulled her out of harm's way just in time to have it explode against the tree behind which she'd been crying. Lisette screamed and tried to scrambled away, but I stopped her. This needed to be thought out.

The fireballs came from either side. If we stayed ahead of them, the criss-cross pattern wouldn't hurt us. The Gamemakers had to eventually stop, right?

I grabbed Lisette's hand and yanked her up. Without wasting time on an explanation, I thrust myself forward, pulling her along. She stumbled and almost fell, but with my speed, she managed to ready herself. One good thing was the she was fleet-footed.

Fireballs came flying at us from everywhere. I'd underestimated the Gamemakers. There was no specific direction. I shielded Lisette as best I could, but running at top speed away from those things made it nearly impossible.

A fireball exploded to my right and the flames landed on my sleeve, instantly setting it on fire. I yelled and patted it, trying to put it out. Lisette screamed and patting along with me, desperately batting at the flames. I could see how they badly burnt her hands, but she didn't seem to care. My whole right arm seemed to be burning up in pain, quite literally. I knew now what Kyle felt like, although my burn wasn't quite as bad as his had been.

"Come on!" I yelled. We couldn't waste time. The flames on my and hand just about died out, but fire was exploding everywhere. The whole forest around us was on fire. The smoke stung my eyes. I was coughing violently, and so was Lisette. The heat was almost unbearable. We were running from fire, smoke and heat. I had faced dangerous opponents before, but how could you fight fire with a sword?

"There!" Lisette yelled. I looked where she was pointing to see the ruins of some kind of cottage. I veered my footsteps in that direction. The cottage wasn't far, barely twenty meters. Hopefully we'd be safe in there.

Fate seemed to laugh in my face.

Because just then, Lisette's foot caught on a rock, and she tripped.

Sheer momentum caused her hand to fall out of mine as she tumbled to the floor as I rushed ahead. Before I even knew what had happened, I was a good two meters ahead. I stopped and turned back, horror settling down on me.

The whole world seemed to slow down. I couldn't even yell out a warning. Lisette looked up in pure terror as the fireball came.

I wasn't fast enough.

I reached her just as the thing exploded against her, enveloping her in flames.

Screaming, that's all I remembered. She was screaming in pain, I was screaming trying to save her. I yanked off my jacket, not even flinching at the pain that shot through my burnt arm when I did that. I used the jacket to bat out the flames, but in my heart, I knew it was hopeless. Flames covered Lisette's whole body. Flames were nearly the worst part.

The ball had been holding lava.

"EFF THIS!" I yelled. I picked Lisette up in my arms, using my jacket to wrap around, and jumped to my feet. Then, I simply ran.

All I could see was the cottage. Around me, the whole forest fell prey to the flames, but I needed to reach the cottage.

I finally did and leapt inside. I only wanted to get away from the fire. Once a safe distance inside, I fell to my knees. I set Lisette down.

That's when the true face of things hit me. And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Lisette's body was covered in burns of I-didn't-even-know-what degree. Her hair was singed and almost completely burned off. Her once pretty features were now covered in nothing but burnt skin and blood. She shivered with her sobs, but she couldn't even scream out of pain.

For the first time in my whole freaking life, I was on the verge of tears.

"No no no no no, Lissy, stay with e, please, just stay with me." I begged. I still held her burnt and broken form, but I knew my pleas were of no use. Nothing, not even Capitol medicine could help her. I felt despair crash down on me. After all this time, I couldn't believe this was actually happening.

Lisette couldn't even say anything. She simply reached out with a shaking arm. I put my hand in hers and she squeezed it hard.

Her hand went motionless and her head fell back.

 _Boom._

I didn't even know what to do. Tears clouded my vision, but I couldn't even cry. I brought Lisette close and just held her. I didn't care how bloodied she was. I just held her.

The thing that broke me out of my thoughts was the sound of a hovercraft. I knew I had to leave. I looked outside to see the forest burnt, but no longer in flames. The fireballs had ceased.

I set Lisette down and hesitated for a moment before removing my locket from my neck. I unclasped it and took out the piece of paper which said "No one breaks the Law". She didn't need that. I closed it again and gently strung my token around her neck. Then, surprising even myself and probably everyone who knew e who was watching, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

I stood up shakily. I was supposed to be the big bad career who felt no emotion. But as I turned and walked away, I knew Lisette had unlocked a side of me which was completely different.

A side I hadn't even known existed.

~.~.~.

 **A/N: Okay, I'm on the verge of tears and basically something of a wreck right now. I love each and every one of these tributes and killing them is pure torture. I know there's only one winner, but every time I kill someone... well, attachment can be a piece of utter and complete crap sometimes. No, scratch that. Attachment is a piece of crap all that time.**

 **This was actually supposed to have another POV from Kimi, but I'm way too sad right now and secondly, its like, what, 4 am here (yes, Reader, I'm sorry okay!?) And I need some sleep and...**

 **Well, you get it.**

 **Oh and since this needs some happy, MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D**

 **Also, God, guys 441 reviews you guys are so freaking incredibly awesome I mean... I can't even say. :") You guys are epic.**

 **So what did y'all think of the chapter? Obviously the deaths will be more now, and Day Seven isn't over yet. But what did y'all think? I seriously hope you guys liked this... please please please lemme know! I love each and every single review... :")**

 **Right. Now. Time for some good news and bad news.**

 **Good news: I have my final** **Eight selected.**

 **Bad news: I HAVE MY FINAL EIGHT SELECTED.**

 **Great, here it comes.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Absalom Sawyer: JOSEPH I AM SO FREAKING SORRY. Absalom was one of the best characters I had recieved. Seriously. He was detailed, realistic, relatable and did everything a normal person would do. I loved writing about his something of a friendship with Frankie, and I seriously hope I could develop him well. This was just the point where people have to go. I'm sorry and I hope I did him justice. RIP Absalom...**

 **Lisette Osborn: Oh my god, I feel so terrible. Lisette was my Rue. She was sweet, innocent, but not weak. She was strong and did what was necessary when it was. In some ways, she was Dwayne's anchor. Sure, she made a few wrong decisions, but she was such a relatable character. Unfortunately, it was simply her time to go. I loved her character and writing for her and her relation with Dwayne and Law. I'm so sorry Mystical Pine Forest... please don't hate me... I hope I could do her justice... RIP Lisette.**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Anna**  
 **Kyle**

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Blake**  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nova**

 **Nick**

Dwayne-12th- Poisoned by Raymond Tate, mercy-killed by Colt Marshal  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
Lisette-10th- killed by Fireballs (Gamemaker Trap)

Frankie-Leigh-13th-killed by Volcano (Gamemaker trap)

Absalom-11th-killed by Blake Coleman

 **Raymond**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	39. Day Seven: Part Two

**Day Seven:**

 **Part Two:**

 **Kyle Daniels(18)-D4 Male:**

The heat of the arena was really starting to annoy me. My shirt clung to me in sweat, and every two seconds I had to wipe off some sweat from my face. My hands slipped against my sword, making it almost impossible to hold it steady. In this disgusting, sweaty state, I dearly hoped I wouldn't have to fight anyone.

The sun was just starting to set as the pink rays shot through the sky. I brushed my bangs out of my eyes. My hair tuck to my forehead in sweat.

I stopped, leaning against a tree to catch my breath. Worry cascaded through my heart, on thinking of Anna back at our shelter.

We'd figured out the concept of the arena yesterday. It had taken us mere moments to figure it out. The lava, the slowly approaching line of liquid fire. The gamemakers were bloodthirsty idiots.

I shook my head, shaking the sweat off my hair. I wiped my hand on my pant leg and gripped my sword again. I needed to find some food. Anna and I couldn't ration our food any longer. I'd forced her to eat the last bit of food we had left. She'd resisted, of course, but after a while she'd given in.

I smiled as I kept walking. The last thing I'd expected to find in the Games was a friend. And yet, there was Anna. Our friendship was strange. We cared about each other, and yet, our friendship had been formed in the strangest of times. We may have well been both heading to our deaths, but it didn't seem to stop us from trusting each other.

I stopped, my tread faltering slightly. This part of the forest wasn't one I'd seen before.

Gods, I felt like laughing at my own thoughts. As if I'd had time to explore every bit of the forests. I barely knew anything of the arena outside of our shelters. However, this part seemed fairly dense with trees. Where there were trees, there were usually animals too.

I kept my eyes peeled, searching every tree and every spot on the ground for some signs of life. I saw a few critters, but nothing that could serve as a decent meal. I kept walking.

I slowed my footsteps. I couldn't help the feeling that was gnawing at my stomach. Something about this part of the forest seemed… off. It was regular trees and creepers, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing too strange. But something told me this was strange.

That's when I looked at my feet. Wisps of fog curled around my shoes. They seemed to lick the fabric of my sneakers and tease the leg of the pant I was wearing. I froze. I'd heard about the poisonous fog these Gamemakers used.

But… if this fog was poisonous, why didn't I feel anything strange? My legs and feet should have been melted puddles of goo by now. Yet, I felt absolutely nothing, not even a slight tingle. I should've run away, but my curiosity was peaked. I mean, what harm could some fog do? Even if it was harmful, it hadn't shown any signs as of now.

Hesitantly, I bent down and got to my knees. The fog curled at a slightly higher level now. The color was a milky white, somewhat like a pearl. The wisps looked so soft and smooth, somewhat inviting. Like the curls of wind on the spring breeze. It seemed so beautiful, the simple white fog, that I couldn't imagine how it had originated in such a desolate place.

I reached out a hand. The tendrils were so smooth looking, the swirls were almost like fingers, luring me in. The fog had surrounded me by now, on all sides. I reached out further and ran my hand through the smoky face of it.

I laughed. It felt just as gentle as it seemed. It didn't even blister my skin. Seemed like I was wrong. Perhaps the Gamemakers just wanted to give us something pretty to look at. I shook my head, letting out a soft chuckle. Goodness knew what things I had thought up.

I let the fog be. I mean, there wasn't much I could do about it either. It wasn't doing any harm, so I decided to simply go on about my business. I needed a kill.

I held up my sword. The golden blade glinted in the dying sunlight. I wondered for a moment how the same blade would look like covered with the blood of a tribute. I couldn't help feel a pang of hatred towards Anna for taking away Ruben's kill from me. I would have had two kills! Now, I only had one! ONE!

Out of frustration, I swung the sword straight into a nearby tree. My breathing was heavy. My vision was clouded, but that was probably because the fog now spread everywhere in this place. Something was definitely wrong. I shook my head, trying to figure out what it was.

But I couldn't. Anger wrapped itself around my mind. I deserved to be the most vicious tribute out there. I deserved each one of those fourteen kills. I couldn't imagine even that pathetic scrawny stick of a victor from Five had more kills than I did at this moment.

Some small, rational part of my brain screamed at me that this was totally wrong. It was the small string of consciousness I had which wasn't completely engulfed in anger. It tried to gnaw its way to the surface, but my mind shoved it back down.

I fell to the ground, clutching the sides of my head. My mind was splitting from two warring sides. My consciousness, which told me that this was totally wrong, that such vile, irrational and violent thoughts weren't mine at all. But the majority of my mind was filled with blind rage. I deserved to be the best in these Games.

Rage won me over.

My vision turned red. I grit my teeth against one another. Somewhere up ahead, I heard shuffling of feet, but just as I got up, the footsteps hurriedly head off in another direction. I didn't even start to bother.

I wanted a kill. I wanted blood. I wanted to smell the sweet smell of the red liquid that covered me in viscous hue as I stabbed my sword into someone again and again. Every time I closed my eyes, the faces of my allies flashed in front of my eyes. I didn't even know who they were anymore. Rage blinded me. Their faces blurred together, their names lost on me. All I knew was that if they were dead, I should have been the one to kill them.

I was breathing heavily, my mouth hanging open, my teeth grinding against each other. I simply wanted to swing my sword into the gut of someone else. A person. Not anyone. Someone who would scream and satisfy my anger. Who would satisfy my bloodlust.

My feet seemed to have a mind of their own. I didn't even know where I was heading now. I hadn't felt this angry in my entire life, what came to mind of it. All rational thought abandoned me. I simply needed to kill someone. I gripped the sword so hard, my knuckles turned white.

I burst into a clearing and stopped.

Yes!

A person sat with their back facing me, tinkering with something. I didn't even bother what it was. I took a moment to savor the sweet flavor of victory. Oh, how I couldn't wait to run this person through with my sword. The person turned quickly, probably at the sound of my ragged, heavy breathing.

"Kyle!" A smile broke through her features. I stopped for a moment, something nagging at the back of my head. That smile… I knew this girl… her dark skin, her hair brushed over one shoulder, her deep brown eyes. Something told me I knew this girl.

Anger overpowered it once more. I didn't care. I was seeing red from anger. I was biting my lower lip so hard, the coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth. I didn't mind. Blood tasted sweet.

"Kyle… is everything okay?" The girl asked tentatively, her expression growing worried. I took a step closer to her and she stood up, reaching for her knife. I didn't give her a chance.I leapt forward and pinned her to the ground.

I was much bigger than her and better built. I growled, the animal-like sound reflecting exactly how I felt. I was blinded my complete and utter rage. Red-hot fury coursed through the blood in my veins. I lifted my sword to impale this girl, but she screamed. She looked at me in abject terror, betrayal and fear washing over her pretty features.

"KYLE WHAT THE HELL!? It's me! Anna! What's wrong with you!?" She screamed.

Anna…

That name rang a bell. My hand faltered, giving Anna enough time to squirm out from under me. I recognized that name. It was so buried under all the anger, I had no idea who she was. Was Anna this girl in front of me?

Rage boiled through me again as I realized I didn't care. "I DON'T KNOW YOU!" I yelled. I'd dropped my sword, but I pulled at her hair and smashed her face against a tree. Her already seemingly broken nose simply broke further, fresh blood gushing out. She screamed and fought me, but I was obviously more powerful.

"Kyle please stop please! I'm begging you!" She screamed and pleaded. I growled again, hitting her head against the tree again. I didn't stop. Pulling my hand back, smashing her face into the tree again. Her screams echoed in my ears, deafening me. However, the anger kicked out everything else. I wrenched the knife out from her belt, probably a spare one, and tried to stab her in the skull, but she somehow sensed it and ducked. She brought up her elbow and rammed it into my face.

I yelled and let her go. She fell to the floor, holding her face. Her features now marred with blood, her tears probably stinging the bleeding skin. I staggered.

"Anna…"

The word seemed strange on my lips. Why did I say that? Why did I know her? Anger and conscience fought for control again, but once again, anger was the victor.

I yanked Anna up and pinned her against a tree, y face mere inches from hers. I bared my teeth, wantng to rip her throat out with my bare canines.

"KYLE STOP!" She screamed.

For some strange reason, I did.

"it's not you! You've been drugged or something! It's the gamemakers! Stop! You're not thinking!" She begged. Her eyes shone like gems through her blood-caked broken and mangled face. She reached up with a hand and wrapped it around my neck, bringing my face closer to hers. She pressed her forehead against mine, looking straight into my eyes.

I paused yet again. I definitely recognized her. My insides were a turmoil of emotions. I knew her… scenes flooded my mind: my arm around her, some food we'd shared, simply holding hands… recognition groped at my mind, pleading with me to accept it.

I didn't.

Anna gasped, tears brimming her eyes. She pulled away from me and looked down at her stomach.

Out of which stuck a knife.

The handle of which I held.

All my anger seemed to wash away in that second. The moment I stabbed Anna, my mind cleared. My memory was fuzzy. I… what was I doing? Why was I pinning Anna…

My eyes travelled down to her stomach, the blood slowly spreading across her shirt, and it all came flooding back to me.

The fog.

It must have carried some sort of drug that had sent me into a murderous frenzy.

But right now, all I cared about was the situation in front of me.

My mouth fell open. Anna collapsed forward, straight into my arms. I sat down, my mind going blank from shock. What had I done… I'd…

"ANNA!"

I held her broken form, shaking her, trying to get some response. Guilt wasn't an emotion strong enough for what I felt. I felt torn. Shattered. Seeing Anna's dying figure tore my heart out of my very chest. I tried to catch my breath, but somehow, grief didn't allow me to. I couldn't even speak.

"Oh my god, Anna, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry Anna I didn't mean it I didn't…" my voice broke. For the first time, I could feel tears run down my cheeks. I didn't even care what I looked like. All I knew at that moment was pain.

Both of us were dying. Anna was dying physically. I was dying on the inside.

"ANNA PLEASE JUST STAY WITH ME!" I yelled, now sobbing. Tears clouded my eyesight, but Anna's face was clear. She slowly pulled out the knife from her stomach. She looked at me with an expression that was almost… serene.

"Anna, please, please don't… We'll get sponsors, I know we will. We can stop the blood, it hasn't even flowed too much…" I was going a little crazy now. I desperately tried to stop the flow of blood from the wound in her stomach, but all I did was smear more blood on my hands. I lowered my head, crying even harder.

I'd inflicted this on her. On the one person in the entire arena who cared about me. And what was worse was that Anna wasn't accusing me. No, her look was calm, peaceful even.

"WHY ARENT YOU SCREAMING AT ME!?" I yelled. I sounded slightly unhinged. Anna simply took my hand and coughed. Blood caked her already torn-up face. The blood flowed out of her mouth in spurts.

"Not… your fault…" she managed. "IT IS! This is all my fault, Anna, please, please no!" I sobbed, pulling her closer. She couldn't die… she couldn't leave me…

"Shhhh…" She pressed a bloodied finger to my lips. Her face broke into one more smile. "You've… done so much… this… wasn't your… wasn't your fault." She said. I couldn't even respond through my sobs. She cupped my face with her hand. "Just this once…" she croaked out.

Slowly, she pulled my face closer to hers, pressing my lips down to hers.

She tasted of blood. I shut my eyes, knowing that my tears fell onto her face.

The kiss hadn't lasted more than two heartbeats, when Anna went motionless. Her hand fell slack.

 _Boom._

A guttural scream escaped my throat as I hugged the corpse of my district partner. I kept my forehead pressed to hers, wanting more than anything for her to open those brown eyes of hers again and take my hand.

I simply sobbed as I waited for the hovercraft to come.

 **Colt Marshal (17)-D10 Male:**

I grumbled to myself, trying my best not to move. Nick and Nova had just about threatened to take off my limbs if I tried anything rash, so I was stuck waiting against a useless boulder feeling utterly useless myself, as the two of them scoured the arena. Nova had gone hunting in a somewhat dense part of the arena she'd spotted, and Nick ad gone to examine the lava and its state. Of course, me being injured, the only thing they'd left out was tying me to the tree.

I fingered the knife in my belt. I looked at my reflection in the blade, and for a moment, I saw Dwayne's face. I dropped the blade, startled.

It took only a moment to settle in.

When you killed someone, they never left you. Their faces haunted every living moment. I had no idea how the other victors had gotten over their kills, but seeing the unstable state of most of them, I knew it hadn't been easy.

Every time I shut my eyes, Dwayne's face would flash in front of me. His black blood, the blood flowing from his eyes, the look of gratitude he'd given me when I'd sunk the blade into his chest.

I knew Stark and Kimi were probably calling me an idiot for throwing myself in the way of the knife that Nova threw, just to save Lisette. But no one could understand. I couldn't let her die, knowing there was something I could've done. Especially not after I was the reason her ally was dead. I felt guilty enough after killing Dwayne. I didn't need another person's death haunting me.

I sighed. I wasn't made for the Games, and even I knew that. I wasn't giving up, no way. I still wanted to make it back to my family, to Zippora and Kaleb. I smiled as I thought about our last moment together. That had been the first time I'd ever seen Kaleb that close to tears. My fingers curled around the coin on my neck. Zippora's words rang in my ears. Her final order to come back home. The last time Ava had brushed my hair away from my face. The last time Everett had looked into my eyes, telling e he stood behind me. The last hug from my parents.

I may not have been made for the games, but I wasn't about to give up.

A sound somewhere off to my left broke me out of my thoughts. I straightened up, flinching lightly at the pang of pain that plagued my shoulder. I was definitely better than before; the pain had reduced to a dull throb, courtesy of the remaining painkillers (and no, I hadn't gone all giraffe-seeking crazy). However, I wasn't fully healed yet.

Nova broke through the line of trees, and I exhaled. I smiled. "Damn, Nova, gave me a scare there." I said. Something about my voice startled even myself. I sounded… hollow. Dwayne's death had taken a harder toll on me than even I realized.

But now I was distracted by something else.

"Nova?" I asked, more cautious this time.

Nova's shoulders shook violently, her breathing heavy and ragged. Her hair fell in her face, almost obscuring the look in her eyes. But that was what freaked me out. She looked absolutely ravenous. The look in her eyes was unstable and ferocious, like she could rip out someone's throat. Her face was red, and she was sweating really badly. Her mouth hung open, her teeth bared, as though they were fangs.

"Nova…" I asked, trying to push myself up onto one hand. "Hey, what's the-"

Nova cut me off by tackling me to the ground. I landed with a hard and nauseating sound, stars flahing in front of my vision.

"Nova what the hell!?" I yelled. I tried to push her off of me, but with one arm, pushing off a raging girl wasn't all the easy. Nova sat on top of me, pinning me to the ground with her weight. Then, before I could even say something, She brought her fist down on my face.

Hard.

Blood filled my mouth, and I knew I'd bitten my tongue. But Nova didn't stop there. She landed punch after punch on my face, snarling and growling. Pain blinded me, filled my whole head. I couldn't even protest. Blood was all I saw.

But that was nothing. Liquid agony spiraled out of my shoulder, and when I turned my head to see, I saw Nova with her teeth sunken into my flesh. I screamed a sound of both disgust and horror, and shoved Nova off of me with every ounce of strength I could muster.

I was in so much pain, not being in pain was foreign to me. I staggered to my feet, glancing over at Nova. Her mouth was bloodied, from my blood. Nova had tried to _eat_ my flesh.

"NOVA STOP! Something's wrong with you! You've been… drugged or something! Stop!" I yelled, tears filling up my ears. I was losing way too much blood. Nova let out an animal-like growl, and lunged at me again. I had no idea what made her go rabid like this, but I was scared out of my wits. Being attacked by someone was something. Being attacked by your district partner, who I saw as something of a sister, that was beyond terror. And Nova was savage.

Nova yanked out a knife from her belt and slashed at my chest. I backed up just in time, but I was already weak from my wounds, and now with the new wounds Nova had inflicted, I simply couldn't stand anymore. I fell back, crawling back on all fours. Nova stabbed at me, but I rolled out of the way. I pulled out a knife from my belt using my good arm, and blocked her next strike.

She didn't give up. She kicked me over onto my back by planting her foot against my ribcage, which leaded to blood spurting out of my mouth. I was losing so much blood. Everywhere I looked, all I saw was my blood.

Nova screamed and stabbed down at my knee. I yankedd my foot out of the way, but not in time.

Her knife still cut halfway through my leg, just at the back of my knee.

I howled in pain. My vision was going black. I never imagined I'd go this way, tortured by Nova...

I felt red hot agony shoot through my back, and with horror, I realized what she was doing.

She was reopening my wound.

But this farmboy had some fight left.

I yelled in defiance and brought up my elbow to ram it into Nova's face. She staggered back, giving me the opprtunity to grab my knives.

"NOVA STOP!" I begged. "This isn't you!"

Nothing infiltrated her head. I had tears streaming down my face from the whirlpool of emotions inside of me. Agony, hesitance, conflict. I couldn't hurt Nova. But she was giving me no choice but to fight her. But how could I!?

That's when it happened. Nova grabbed two huge knives and threw one at me. I rolled out of the way, but luck was not on my side.

The weapon was flying in the air before I could do anything about it.

THUD.

I could hear the sound reverberating as red flooded my vision. I looked down at the knife.

My knife.

In Nova's chest.

I'd thrown it as a natural reflex as a protection against Nova's attack, but I'd never meant... Every emotion inside me froze. It seemed as though the whole arena was holding its breath. I couldn't even move. Tears dripped from my eyes.

Nova's expression changed from savage to human. She looked hurt and confused. She didn't seem to register what was going on. She looked at me, on the ground, covered in my own blood and her eyes widened.

"Colt, I'm... I'm so sorry..." her voice trailed off as she looked down at the dagger sticking out of her chest.

Everything collapsed into slow motion as she fell to the ground. Her eyes were so full of despair and regret. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. I'd just hit Nova. My own district partner. The girl who I saw as my sister. I'd hit her with a knife. In the chest.

"Nova..." my voice was raspy. I still couldn't move. Tears cascaded down Nova's cheeks.

"Don't change, Colt..." she managed to breathe out, "Not for them."

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. It seemed as though my voice had also abandoned me.

"You were... the best... ally... and brother..." she didn't get to finish.

 _Boom_.

That's when I lost it.

I sunk to my knees, my half-broken, bleeding knees, and screamed. I screamed Nova's name, I screamed my apologies. I was wailing, but the only thing I saw was Nova's mangled body. I'd done that... I'd killed her...

I was vaguely aware of Nick's vpice as she came running up to me. I could make out only two words. "Hovercraft... go!"

I'd pretty much blanked out everything else. Nick wrapped her arms around mine and pulled me up. I fought against her, refusing to leave Nova, but she was stronger than my weakened, bleeding self.

"I CAN'T LEAVE HER!" I screamed. Nick simply pulled me away as I saw the body of my ally and friend being raised into the sky.

Then we were running.

I remembered crying. Crying and fighting against Nick. I was numb from shock and grief. Nova couldn't have died...

I didn't even realize when we'd come to a stop. Nick let go of me, but didn't move away. She simply pulled me into a tight hug. I buried my face in her neck, but couldn't speak. What had happened wasn't possible. It simply wasn't.

I turned and spat out the blood from my mouth. I was bleeding everywhere. I could hear Nick saying something about bandages, but I couldn't even think clearly.

"Nova... I'm sorry..."

That was the last thing I remembered saying before passing out.

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: OH. MY. GOD. This chapter was heartbreak. I loved both of these tributes and killing them... but I knew this was how they were going to go. I'm heartbroken, exhausted, spent and... yeah, I'm in desperate need of sleep.**

 **And yeah I like to emotionally break my characters. :(**

 **To deny, yes, I will be accepting Guest submissions in my sequel. After getting a charcter as awesome as Dwayne from a gues like you, of course I would accept Guest submissions!**

 **To Red Rose, thank you for your recommendations! I did submit!**

 **Also, you guys should totally go check out Unbreakable, which is an SYOT by EthanW32. He seems like a really good author, and I'm seriously looking forwars to his fic!**

 **Gods you guys... 460 reviews!? I love you guys so much... you hit me right in the feels.**

 **Talking about feels, this chapter was not good or me on the feels. What did you think of these deaths? Who're your top four faves? And how was this chapter? I tried my bet to make it emotional... tell me what you thought!**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Anna Austen: Oh my poor sweet Anna. She was one of my best characters. She had so much scope for developement, and I hope I could do her justice. She was sweet and not a fighter, but she was strong. She held the careers together, and later on, became Kai's something of an anchor. I simply loved her. I'm so sorry Sally the Lioness, but it was just her time. I hope I did her justice. She was amazing. RIP...**

 **Nova Pines: Good Lord. I hated myself here. When I got Nova's form, I knew she was ginna be in my final 8. She was so different from the regular young ones, and she had a tragic but believable backstory. She was mature and spunky and someone I loved writing for from the bottom of my heart. I will always love Nova because she was also my first submission. This is just that time when all the tributes have to go one by one. I'm so sorry Wincestcher, because she was truly a priviledge to write for. I will miss her dearly. RIP Nova...**

 **Death list:**

 **Almiro  
** Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Kyle**  
Anna- 9th- killed by Kyle

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
 **Blake**  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**  
Nova- 8th- killed by Colt Marshal

Dwayne-12th- Poisoned by Raymond Tate, mercy-killed by Colt Marshal  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
Lisette-10th- killed by Fireballs (Gamemaker Trap)

Frankie-Leigh-13th-killed by Volcano (Gamemaker trap)

Absalom-11th-killed by Blake Coleman

 **Raymond**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	40. Day Eight: Part One

**Day Eight:**

 **Part One:**

 **Lawson Dean(18)-D2 Male:**

I grate the edge of my sword against the huge boulder I was leaning against. Sparks flew where the metal made contact with the stone, but I only pushed it harder, leadong yo inly more sparks.

I sighed and buried the tip of my sword in the ground. I shut my eyes tight. I couldn't do this. I shouldn't have been doing this. I needed to win the Games. I needed to bring pride to my family and district. I needed to be the victor. I couldn't let something as stupid as emotions weaken me.

That's all I should've cared about. That's all I really did care about.

At least, until two weeks ago.

I sank to my knees, exhaling hard, trying to control the turmoil of emotions inside of me. I held up my hands and examined them. I could still see the blood of Lisette caked in my fingernails.

I'd seen so many people die, I'd faced so much torture, I didn't even know what was right or wrong anymore. A few weeks ago, my only goal was glory and pride. But now, I wasn't sure that truly mattered anymore. Was glory above life? Was pride above humanity?

I didn't know anymore. I honestly didn't. My whole life I'd grown up listening to how the Games meant a chance to prove yourself to the country. I'd learnt to push myself to my limits. I'd been hardened into a killing machine. And I honestly was. I had no doubt I could easily run my sword through each and every one of the remaining tributes...

...didn't I?

I ran a hand across my face, pinching the bridge of my nose with two fingers. I couldn't believe how much these Games had affected me. When I'd first entered the Games, the sound of a cannon was music to my ears. I'd look up at the faces into the sky and know that each death brought me closer to home.

Now, every time a cannon blew, I could only wish it wasn't Almiro, Anna or Kyle. I searched the sky for their faces, and would dread finding them there. Yesterday's faces had been the worst. First seeing Anna's face up there, smiling a smile I saw on her face just about all the time. The smile would only grow wider every time Kyle held her hand, or even just sent a fleeting smile her way. Siobhan and I would share a knowing grin everytime those two would give each other the googley eyes. And seeing her face up there... it hadn't been easy.

But thhat had been bearable compared to Lisette. I'd blankly stared at the sky even after all the faces had been shown. Lisette's face in the sky... her carefree, innocent smile. Every time I thought about her, her burnt body flashed in front of my eyes. The way she'd given my hand that final squeeze. The way her ead had fallen back as the cannon had blown. The way she'd hugged me when she was crying.

I sighed again. I couldn't believe I'd gotten so attached with some twelve-year-old from district six.

But now, I needed to win. Yes, I still wanted to bring pride to my district and have the name of my family written down in history, have my parents hold their heads high. But now I had another motive for winning. I wanted to win for Anna, who'd always greeted me with respect and her sweet smile. For Siobhan, who was something of a younger sister to me, always keeping me light with her stupid jokes. For Lisette, who'd somehow unlocked a more human Lawson.

I stood up, gripping my sword. I yanked it out of the ground. After exhaling one more time, I started walking away from the boulder, not quite knowing where I was heading. I basically just walked away from the direction of the approaching lava line. Stupid Gamemakers. They were destroying the arena, like they had the last time. Except this time it was sligtly more dangerous. I mean, water wouldn't kill someone on contact, but one touch of lava and you had a nasty burn.

I kept walking, making sure to keep my direvtion away from the lava. I didn't plan on being melted any time soon.

I paused, crouching low on the ground.

Was that... blood?

At this point, I was about a hundred percent sure every tribute had been injured at least once, in some way, so I had absolutely no idea whose this could have been. I sure hoped this wasn't Almiro's. If it was, I needed o find him. I'd gotten separated from him, so if I found him now in an injured state, maybe I'd be in time to help.

I blinked. Had I really just thought that? The Lawson that people knew before the Games would've taken this opprtunity to kill his opponent. But I didn't think there was any way I could kill Almiro. He'd saved me way too many times. However, I had no obligations to anyone else. I gulped and kept walking.

The trail of blood got thicker. Whoever it belonged to was seriously hurt. The blood was on many places in splatters, so they must've been bleeding from many injuries. I cocked my ear to a groaning noise somewhere ahead of me. It was defintely a boy, but somehow didn't sound deep enough to be Almiro. I walked ahead and finally caught sight of the person, leaning against a tree, bleeding from countless wounds.

Blake Coleman of District Twelve looked worse than I ever recalled seeing him.

Sure, he'd pretty much stayed out of my way, and we'd had next to zero interactions, but I'd taken my time to learn every single one of my opponents. I'd been somewhat impressed at how he'd managed to manipulate his way into the alliance. I had seen through it of course, but the girls had seemed oblivious.

I stood about five yards away from him, sword in hand, when he spotted me. His eyes were bleak and his hair was matted to his forehead in sweat and blood. He probably had a wound on his head, for thin trails of blood flowed down the sides of his face. His left leg seemed like the main source of the blood. It was bent at a funny angle, and his supposedly beige pant leg was soaked red. He had many other wounds as well, but I didn't spend much time scrutinizing them.

He looked up at me with a passive expression, as though he was completely blank to everything else.

"Dandy day, huh?"

I was slightly taken aback. Clearly I wasn't the only one affected by the deaths. This guy who'd seemed so 'charming' at the interveiws now seemed so... bland.

"Well, considering the fact that I was attacked by exploding fireballs yesterday and today realized that the Gamemakers were slowly destroying the very arena and now am separated from my ally and have a burnt hand, yeah, pretty dandy, I'd say." I answered. Blake laughed, a raspy sound devoid of any humor.

"I suppose I can ask you if you want to have a truce, or I can possibly try running away..." he mused. I raised a brow. Did this guy seriously think he could beat me in a chase with that leg? Blake simply let out another humorless laugh.

"But I'm not stupid." He sad, reaching for his weapon. He brought out a huge silver knife from his belt and stood up using the help of the staggered a bit, but steadied himself. "I'm done running. I'm freaking done running." He said, his tone dangerous. I had a feeling this guy had seen more death in front of him than I had. I readied my sword. The Games was no place to be chivalrous.

I struck first. Blake, with surprising agility, threw himself to one side, and using his good leg, kicked me hard in the shin. I staggered, but didn't fall. However, Blake was sneakier than I'd realized. He brought out a small knife from his pocket and before I had time to move, threw it at me.

In his injured state, his aim was off, otherwise the blade would've landed squarly in my chest. Instead, it lodged itself to the left of my stomach. It was small, but it buried itsef to its hilt. It wasn't anywhere near a fatal wound, but it did hurt. A lot. I stumbled back, pulling the knife out. I pulled my hand away from the wound, covered in the red paint of blood.

Blake swooped up his knife and slashed at my chest. I jumped back at the last moment and blocked his blade with mine. I locked the edge of my sword onto the hilt of his dagger and maneuvered it out if his grip.

Blake wasn't done yet.

He pulled his fist back and smashed it into my face, classic style. It hit me between my eyes, leaving me momentarily disoriented. Using this, Blake hit his elbow down onto my arm, the one in which I held my sword. The guy had some serious power in that bony elbow.

But he was losing a lot of blood. And fast. He stumbled as he tried to pick up my sword, leaving the window of opportunity free for me. I pushed him back and in his weakened, injured state, he had no strength to resist. He fell to the ground as I wrapped my fingers around my sword handle. Blake pulled out yet another knife from his belt and threw it at me, but this time I'd seen it coming. I easily side-stepped as the knife went flying past me.

Blake backed up to a tree, heaving. His state was bad. Like, really, really bad. His leg was hanging limp at his side, and his clothes were soaked in blood that I knew wasn't mine. His face was paler than usual and he looked much skinnier. Sickly, even.

"I guess this is it, then." He rasped out. Blood flowed in a steady stream from the corner of his mouth. I knelt in front of him. "Yeah. It is." I said. Blake laughed. "Back home, I would get out of sticky situations all the time with sweet talk. Usually with the ladies. That, I suppose, won't work here...?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no. I don't think so." Blake's response was only to laugh again. Blake sighed, knowing what was coming. "Don't put me through any more torture. If you're going to kill me, make it swift." He said. I stood up. "You were a good opponent Blake. Never thought someone from Twelve would be. But you were." I said. Blake gave me a small, pleased smile, and I knew that my praise hadn't gone in waste. I closed my eyes.

I stabbed my sword straight through his heart.

The cannon rung almost immediately.

 _Boom._

 **Almiro Fitzroy(18)D1 Male:**

If I could slap, punch, kick and Lawson Dean at the same time, I would do it. And then I would run him through with my sword.

We were fine. Sure, we were on our own, with dwindling supplies, but we were somewhat prepared for an attack. Now, the two of us were separated and who knew what state he was in. All because the idiot had to go _hunt_. Yeah, I really wanted to slap him.

I sat down hard. Last night hadn't been easy on me. Seeing Anna's face up there… I hadn't known what to do for a few minutes. I mean, yes, I knew she had to have died for me to return, but somehow, her death still came as a shock.

Anna was probably the sweetest of the whole career pack. She was kind and soft, yet somehow strong in her own little ways. She'd stood up to Ruben, and she'd always been there. She was the little bit of smiles we had, what with most of Siobhan's jokes being about killing people and Kai and Law just basically glaring at each other.

I sighed. I couldn't let thoughts like this distract me. I had to get back home to Becca and Clos. I smiled, thinking of my sister's face. The way her small hand fit in mine. Becca needed to be safe. Obviously I couldn't guarantee that even if I was a victor, but then, she wouldn't have had to take out tessarae. I needed to do this for her. And obviously to get back to Clos, who'd stayed by me through every difficult time of my life. He'd been there for me when Minnie had died, he'd been there when I'd taken up the role of volunteering. Somehow, he'd always been there.

I stood up again, hefting my sword. I needed to find Lawson. If I found him…

I sighed. And then? Then what? We were into the final six, what with that cannon a few seconds ago. I felt a chill run through me as I thought of it being either Kai or Lawson. But then again, if I did find Lawson, it would mean one of two things. Either we stayed allies and made it further, or we fought. And somehow, a truce didn't seem like the way that fight would go.

But I could see how the Games had started to change Law. He'd become slightly blank when Siobhan's face had been shown in the sky. And I'd seen how he was around that kid, Lisette. I didn't know how she managed it, but she had somehow managed to unlock a more human side of Lawson. I rubbed my forehead. I'd seen her face in the sky too, last night. Part of me wondered if Lawson had anything to do with it, but the other part just wanted to know how he was taking it. I couldn't imagine it would be very easy.

Suddenly, a sound made me freeze. It sounded like…

I looked up just in time to see a knife coming straight at my face. Fortunately, years of training had given me good reflexes. I ducked the knife, but I could feel it brush my hair as it flew by me. I immediately looked back up and held out my sword.

A smaller figure leapt down from the trees, and I paused.

"Raymond?"

The younger boy sneered. "Oh, so you recognize me, do you? I suppose the Capitol hasn't turned you into complete lapdogs then…" He said, his voice dripping with venom. I would've waved him off as unthreatening, with his wiry frame and weakened appearance. However, this kid had killed Siobhan, so he had something. Definitely.

I glared at him. "You killed Siobhan." I spat. He glared right back, his piercing blue-gray eyes making it hard to ignore him. "Really? Because I clearly remember her going manic and trying to drive an arrow through my throat and me killing her in self-defence, but then again, that could've just been me." He snarled. He held up two long knives, which I knew for a fact he hadn't gotten from the cornucopia. He noticed me staring and grinned wider.

"Oh yeah, I have sponsors. Dane's a chill guy, and honestly? Having two kills probably gets you some sponsors too." He informed me. I almost choked on myself. This guy had two kills!? I literally had none, and Lawson, from what I knew till now, had only one, that too at the bloodbath. And this scrawny twelve year old from Five had two!?

"Surprised? Thought you'd be." He mused. I tightened my grip on my sword. "Look, I don't want a fight. I'm just looking for my ally. Just stay away from me, okay?" I told him firmly. He stared at me for a moment before laughing. I started. This guy seemed slightly… unhinged. I mean, he wasn't ruthless and crazy, but… well, two kills would've affected any twelve-year-old.

"Almiro, do you know what this is? It's called the final Six. And listen very carefully when I tell you this. _There are no truces in the Final Six_."

I grit my teeth as the kid in front of me held forth his knives and I sighed. If he wanted this to be it, then it would be. I didn't want to do this. I really didn't want to kill someone so young. But he wasn't giving me much of a choice.

I swung my sword straight at his neck, but he blocked it with his knife. I stopped for a moment, considering his skills. Obviously he was no slouch, and he seemed to be able to handle that knife pretty well. He brought up his knee and kneed me square in my stomach. I fell back, coughing. That guy packed a serious kick.

But he was at a stark disadvantage. I was almost six feet tall with a much bigger amount of muscle than him. I kicked out my leg to put him down, but he jumped over it and rolled away. He threw another knife at me, but I ducked that one too. I needed to reach my sword, which had clattered out of my hand when he'd kicked me.

I ran forward but he was faster, being much smaller and thinner. He kicked it away again and slashed my stomach with his knife. I staggered back, surprised at the brutality of such a young child. He kicked me back by planting his foot square in my chest. I was about to fall back once more, when he grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.

Pain erupted in my midsection as I looked down to see the handle of a knife sticking out of my stomach. The thing was, the handle was quite small, which meant that the knife was too. So then why…

I really fell back as the truth came crashing down on me. I looked up at Raymond with bleak eyes. "Poison…" I rasped out. Raymond glared down at me. "That's right. Poison. This scrawny kid from twelve managed to take down two effin' careers with poison."

My vision was going weak. I tried to keep myself upright, but failed miserably when I fell to the ground, facing up. I could feel the chemical coursing through my body. Everything hurt. Every nerve in my body screamed in agony. I turned to my side and threw up some blood. I looked at where Raymond now stood, the look in his eyes somehow angry and remorseful at the same time. "You volunteered for this. You volunteered to kill people." He said simply, his voice dangerously controlled.

With that, he turned and walked off.

I didn't know what was making my mind go blank, the fact that a kid had taken me down or the fact that I was actually dying. I had absolutely no way of stopping this. I closed my eyes. This wasn't right. I couldn't die.

I couldn't help the tear that rolled down the corner of my eye. "Becca…" I managed. I could feel the poison as it reached the farthest parts of my body. I could feel it affecting me, making everything erupt in pure agony. I was seeing black now. The whole world was going black. I wasn't supposed to go like this…

 _Boom._

But…

I wasn't dead.

I knew that. I could feel my heavy breaths, I could feel my heartbeat. Then whose cannon was that? What was going on!?

I couldn't even think through all the pain coursing through my body, but I could make out a hovercraft approaching me. What the literal hell was going on!? I wasn't dead yet! Yeah, I had about five minutes of life left, but why in the name of God was this Hovercraft coming at me?

I wanted to scream as the claw descended from above me, wrapping its metallic fingers round my body. I wanted someone to know that I wasn't dead yet, that I didn't need to be carried away. But I couldn't move. This poison made me lose completely control, and I couldn't even lift my head to see what was going on. All I felt was pain, all that was on my mind was confusion.

The Arena faded around me as I was pulled into a helicopter.

Everything burst into pandemonium.

"GET HIM ON THE BED NOW!" someone, a girl, yelled. Strong hands wrapped around me and shoved me onto what seemed like a hospital bed. I tried asking the question screaming itself in my mind, but I was way too weak. My vision was now blurry as well as dark.

"Oh no no no no no, boy, you are NOT dying on me now, nope." A male voice said, somewhere off to my left. I recognized it, but couldn't quite place it. A female voice chided him. "Quiet. You know she's trying."

I felt numerous needles being thrust into me, and a cry escaped my throat. It was more of a stranged sound of a cat dying than a cry. "Oh, Dane's going to have to so some answering. That Raymond boy and his poisons…" Another voice, much younger muttered.

At first I thought it was my imagination, but after a few moments, I could really feel it.

The poison was slowly fading.

If I had been confused before, I was utterly baffled now. What in the name of all things holy was going on!?

I could feel two things battling inside of me. The antidote and the poison. Pain and relief. Death and life. I felt pain rip through me, but relief cut through it like a knife. I wanted to scream, to shout, to blank everything, but I couldn't. Everything inside me was in a turoil. The poison was rapturing the little life left in me, while the cure restored that.

I had no control whatsoever. All I could do was that pray whatever they were doing to me would save me. I wanted to live.

Everyone could pretend to be fearless, but truly in the face of death? I was terrified. Terrified at the thought of never being able to see my family. Of never being able to hold Becca's hand, of never being able to embrace Clos.

But, I wasn't dying.

No, I was healing.

I could feel the pain fade, as the cure won over the poison. My vision cleared, the whirlpool inside me coming to a rest. I coughed, trying to breathe in some air.

I opened my eyes to see three faces hovering over me. I definitely recognized one.

"Th-Thaddeus Sheen?"

 **Kimaya Canterstein(19)- Victor of the Fifty-Fourth Hunger Games:**

The boy, Almiro blinked and tried to sit up, but Kimi put a hand on his chest. "Nuh uh, you don't sit up." She ordered. To make it easier for him, she hit a lever and the bed slowly rose into a somewhat chair-like position.

Confusion was all over the boy's feature. He stared at her for a few seconds, completely speechless. "You're... that victor..." he stuttered. Kimi couldn't help but laugh. "That victor? Really?" She mused.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Almiro completely lost it, trying to get out of bed. However, not only was Thaddeus older, he was also faster and much stronger than Almiro, who was weakened by the exhausting effect of the cure. The Gamemaker pushed the younger boy back, pinning him on the bed.

"That's your way of saying thank you?"

"Please, someone just please tell me what is going on!?" He yelled. Kimi stepped up. She shot a glare at Thaddeus. "It's okay, just calm down, you're perfectly fine." She comforted Almiro, who seemed close to tears.

"Isn't it _slightly_ obvious?" Thaddeus scoffed. "We're saving your life."

Kimi rolled her eyes at the older guy. Thaddeus could be so unbelievably dramatic sometimes that it actually made her want to crack up. Almiro froze completely as his jaw fell open.

"What...?"

Thaddeus gave him his trademark are-you-serious eye-roll. "We saved you from the arena and gave you a cure for the poison. Am I speaking slow enough?" He said as though he was talking to a child.

Almiro remained silent for a few moments.

"Why?" He finally asked. Kimi was taken aback by the innocent curiosity. He wasn't asking them anythin other than why they'd saved him. Thaddeus sat back.

"It's a long story. For now, you need to know that Regina's dead." He declared.

Almiro's expression changed from shocked, to confused, to sad, and then back to confused. "But... I already knew that..." he pondered.

Thaddeus shook his head. "No, not the way you think. She somehow found a way out of the arena, but then passed out and bled to death." He said. Almiro once again went through a series of expressions, landing once more on confused. "But why'd you save me?"

"Well, Regina knew some extremely crucial information, information that can help us in unimaginable ways. And before she died, the last person she spoke to was you. And I know that she told that information to you."he said, his voice getting firmer.

"Wait, I don't-" Almiro was cut off by Thaddeus. "No, listen kid. I need you to remember what she told you. You're literally our only hope left. If you remember that code, we can save the lives of thousands of people." He urged. Almiro looked ready to pass out.

"Okay, Almiro just relax." Kimi said, shooting Thaddeus a reprimanding glare. Almiro needed to rest. The boy slowly came back to normal. "I'll try to remember, if someone please could just tell me what the hell is going on!?"

That's when their third companion stepped up. A woman in her mid-forties, she looked commanding in her military-style attire and perfect raven hair with streaks of white. She smiled at Almiro, who didn't quite seem to recognize her. Well, Kimi would have been surprised if he had.

"I think I'll take the job of explaining, since Thaddeus obviously isn't doing a very good job of it." She held out a hand to Almiro, smiling formally yet somewhat calmingly. Kimi really respected this about her.

"My name is Alma Coin. And I'm the President of District Thirteen."

 **Nick Noelle(16)- D7 Female:**

I was getting worried for Colt. Really, I was.

I expected him to cry, bawl, try to kill himself even. But he did none of those. He just sat across from me, leaning against a tree in our small clearing. He didn't even say anything, simply played with a few blades of grass. He looked... hollow. Like he felt nothing.

"Okay, would you please stop that!?" I cried, breaking the silence. I startled Colt, who dropped his few blades of grass in surprise. He looked at me. "Stop acting so blank. Like you don't feel anything. Cry, rage, try to kill me or something but don't just sit there." I exclaimed.

Colt gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry." He dead-panned.

Then he went back to playing with his blades of grass.

"Look, Colt. I may not be the most emotional person out there, but I know Nova's death must have been hard on you. I know you killed her for a reason and you didn't mean to. But you can't do this to yourself okay? You can't fall apart like this." I huffed a huge breath

Colt looked up at me with wide eyes. "I'm not falling apart Nick..." he said softly. I glared at him. "Really? Because right now, you're the perfect picture of someone who's completely breaking." I said.

Colt sighed and set down his grass, much to my pleasure.

"I'm not _breaking_ Nick. I'm holding myself together."

I was shocked, to say the least, by this response. "What?"

He sighed again. "I can't fall apart. Nova's death is threatening to tear me apart, but I won't let that happen. I owe it. I owe it to her. Since she can't win, the least I can do is tey and win, so that I can give her family at least a year of surplus food. She wanted her family out of their harsh times. If I win, I'm going to get them out. I owe it to her, to the girl who'd become something of a sister to me. I'm not only trying to win for my family. I'm trying to win for Nova."

I was silent for a few moments. I hadn't seen this coming. I gave Colt a look of respect. "You know, when I was five, I decided to dig for Gold. So I took a shovel and went to the backyard and dug a hole. It took me five hours, and though I didn't find any Gold, that hole was still effin' deep. That speech you just made? That was even deeper."

Colt's mouth hung open. He closed it and pinched the bridge of his nose, the whispers of a smile playing on his lips. "And here I was, trying to have an emotional moment." He looked back at me. "You have a talent Nick Noelle. I don't think anyone else can be quite the annoying younger sibling you are." He said. I glared at him.

"Well, yeah, and I'm glad you're not all mushy mushuy and bawling in a corner even though that would've been better than the whole silent thing, but we need to do this for Nova. He wouldn't want you to go grieving for her so YOU BETTER NOT DO THAT BECAUSE IF YOU WILL... I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT. BUT I'LL DO SOMETHING! And I don't even know WHY I'M SCREAMING AND-" Colt cut me off.

"Dominique Noelle, shut up or I'll gag you."

I glanced at him, forcing myself to be calm. I grinned. "That's the Colt I know." I said. I ignored how hollow he'd sounded. This was just a shell of the older Colt, but even a shell was better than nothing. He was hurt and traumatized, but he was keeping it together.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps put me on high alert. Colt sheathed a knife and sat up, not wanting to put too much pressure on his injured leg. I hefted my axe, just as someone came crashing into the clearing.

"What the hell!? Raymond!?" I exclaimed. The boy froze and stared at us with surprise mixed with his usual scowl. "I was running from the black fog..." his voice trailed off as we all realized what was happening. "The Gamemakers led you here" I said in a small voice. He simply glared.

However, all further action was stopped when two more pairs of feet crashed into the clearing, taking us all by surprise. My head whipped from one to the other as they stood in front of us, mere yards apart from each other.

Kai Daniels and Lawson Dean.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized what this meant. Everyone just shot each other horrified glances as realization dawned on them.

We were the final five.

All in one place.

~.~.~.

 **A/N: Did I just leave you guys with two cliffies again?**

 **:) Yep.**

 **Okay, so I'm tired as eff, so this AN will be really short. I just wanna thank you guys for all the support you've shown... we're almost at the finale, and I'M SO EXCITED. AND SAD.**

 **Alright, to clear things up, ALMIRO IS NOT DEAD.**

 **He was rescued from the arena and cured by Kimi because before dying, Regina told him the safe combination. So yeah. He's going to be in the story after this as well and he does live.**

 **Remember when I said this was going to be a teensy bit different? This was what I meant. I really really really needed this for the plot, and it was an honest choice between Almiro and Regina and I chose Almiro. But yeah, this was needed for the plot. So Almiro was saved from the arena and yes, he will have a role further in the story, whereas Regina is dead, and will obviously not.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews guys... I love each and every one... :")**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Blake Coleman: Good God, this was one of the hardest deaths till now. Blake was one of the best characters I'd gotten. He was detailed and realistic and a priviledge to write for. I found him to be extremely interesting and someone who showed great scope for developement. I loved his relations with his allies and his character as a whole. He was amazing, but now, people simply have to go. RIP Blake... I hope I did you justice.**

 **Death list:**

Almiro-6th-rescued, kill credited to Raymond Tate **  
**Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
 **Lawson**  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

 **Kyle**  
Anna- 9th- killed by Kyle Daniels

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
Blake- 7th- killed by Lawson Dean  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt**  
 **Nick**  
Nova- 8th- killed by Colt Marshal

Dwayne-12th- Poisoned by Raymond Tate, mercy-killed by Colt Marshal  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
Lisette-10th- killed by Fireballs (Gamemaker Trap)

Frankie-Leigh-13th-killed by Volcano (Gamemaker trap)

Absalom-11th-killed by Blake Coleman

 **Raymond**

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	41. Day Eight: Part Two

**Day Eight:**

 **Part Two:**

 **Colt Marshal(17)-D10 male:**

The five of us just stood there. Silent as humanly possible. Even Nick, who usually would never stop talking seemed shocked into complete silence. I glanced at the massive swords in the hands of the two careers. I knew for a fact that Raymond was good with poisons. I'd seen him at the station during training when I'd visited that particular one. I'd failed miserably, but he was a genius. And even without that knowledge, he'd killed Dwayne with poison. I warily glanced at the knives he held in his hands. I needed to steer clear of those. Heck, who was I kidding. I needed to steer clear of every weapon these guys held.

My eyes flitted to Nick and I paused. We were the only alliance left in these Games. I couldn't believe this 'temporary' alliance had gotten so far. But now, this was the final five. Everyone was everyone's enemy. For me to win, all of them would have to die. I gripped my knife.

I couldn't. I simply couldn't hurt Nick. She was way too much of a sister to me. I closed my eyes tight, then slowly opened them again, exhaling softly. There was no way I was going to be killing Nick. Chances were, we would both die by someone else's hand. But I wasn't killing her. She met my eyes, and we came to a silent agreement.

I sized up the others, who were doing the same. I could feel Kai's gaze on me as I looked at Raymond. The youngest of us all, and yet he seemed the most unharmed. However, there was something in his eyes, a sort of regret. This guy was dangerous and I knew it. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill, and from the fact that he was about two inches shorter than me, despite being two years younger, gave me the idea that he was physically fit too.

Lawson seemed to be slowly taking in something. Must have been the death of that boy from One, Almiro. I realized he was the only one missing, and there'd only been one cannon so far. Those two had never seemed that tight, but they had been in an alliance. Lawson's arm seemed badly burnt, and he was bleeding from a wound in his stomach. He was cut up in various places, but nothing too major. The thing that shocked me, was the absence of that manic gleam I'd expected. I'd thought he'd go all Shaunya-Shane and tear out everyone's throat, but something about him seemed different. He seemed… human.

But the other career, Kai, he seemed outright broken. I remembered him and his district partner at the Training Centre. I mean, everyone had, it was way too obvious. Maybe it was her death, or maybe it was something else, but his eyes reminded me of broken glass. Like they would shatter any moment. I had a feeling my gaze was pretty much the same. His arm also was horribly burnt, much more so than Law's, and he was bandaged in several places.

Nick cleared her throat. "Urm, so, since everyone's doing the whole I'm-sizing-you-up-and-deciding-the-best-way-to-kill-you thing, let me just suggest something. How about, you two," she pointed at the two careers, "sort out your differences. Colt and I'll just head back that in that direction, and Raymond, you can go your own merry little way!" She said happily, clapping her hands. The four of us turned to look at her. Her face fell.

"Right. Never mind."

"Almiro…" Lawson sighed. He turned his gaze to Nick and I, with a murderous glare. "You killed him!?"

I held up my hands in a surrendering sign. "Woah, hey there, dude. I get the whole, intimidating career thing, but just because Nick and I are alive right now, doesn't mean you'll assume we killed your ally." I said. He scoffed. "Well, obviously Kai didn't kill him because those two were actually friends, from what I could make out, so-"

"I killed him."

All of our heads snapped to Raymond's direction. If my throat hadn't been completely dry, I would've choked. "You… WHAT!?" Lawson exclaimed. Raymond glared at him in quite possibly the most intimidating glare I'd ever seen come from someone that young. "Yeah, I killed him. This is the Hunger Games, and you of all people should know that. You volunteered for this crap, didn't you? To kill people? Well, that's what we're all doing! Killing innocent people for the effin' Capitol's happiness. And now, you should be happy! One more person dead! Doesn't that sound like music to your ears?" He snarled.

I gaped at him. Was this guy crazy!? He'd outright spoken against the Capitol and threatened the most dangerous tribute here. I looked at Lawson, half-expecting him to chop off Raymond's head, but he surprised me yet again. He simply stood there, staring at the younger boy, remorse washing over his features. He closed his eyes, looking almost… ashamed.

Nick took my arm. She slowly started back off, when I stopped her. Kai was looking at something right behind us, with an expression that didn't exactly make me feel all warm and cuddly. Nick noticed it too, and exchanged horrified glances with me. I gulped. Whatever could freak out a career was not something I wanted to see.

I slowly turned around, my heart jumping into my throat at what I saw.

I honestly didn't even know what it was. It seemed vaguely humanoid, but that was the only similarity. It seemed like something of a merger between a wolf and a lion, with the body being wolfish, but the head being that of a lion, with the flaring mane. It bared its fangs at us, and it canines were about as long as my whole hand. Nick and I slowly backed up into our group. "Oh…" I started.

"…Crud" Nick finished.

What happened next happened so fast, it took my brain a few moments to comprehend it.

Nick turned around, back to our group, and screamed. Before I could look to see what had happened, she yelled my name and tackled me to the ground. Her cry of pain shot me straight back to my feet. I looked to see Raymond standing in a throwing poise, his arm stuck out, his expression enraged. Oh no…

His kunai stuck out of Nick's right shoulder. It was just on the outer edge, barely sunken into her skin. If she'd been faster, it would've avoided her completely. But I was shocked into speechlessness. She'd taken a knife. For me. In the final five. I knew Nick was impulsive to the point of crazy, but this…

"Ah, crap!" She cried, pulling the knife out. I looked at the mutt behind us, but it was just standing there. I figured it must've been put there to keep us from running, like a guard. Of course, I could never be too sure, but currently, I had bigger problems to worry about. I grabbed Nick's arm, looking closely to examine her wound. My mouth fell open as horror gripped my heart.

The veins in the vicinity of the wound were turning a sick shade of green. I looked up at Nick, both of our eyes wide.

Poison.

Lawson Dean(18)-D2 Male:

What in the world had just happened!?

In a flash, when their backs had been turned, the kid from Five had thrown a knife. Judging by the trajectory of the knife, it would have landed in the boy's head, the one from Ten. We would've been the final four right now, but that girl… she'd done the stupidest yet bravest thing. She'd pushed him out of the way. However, I could tell her wound wasn't an ordinary one, from their terrified expressions.

Raymond let out a frustrated cry and sheathed two huge knife from his belt. Wow, this kid had an arsenal of knives, and I only had one sword. What were sponsors thinking?

But I still couldn't get over the fact that he'd killed Almiro. Almiro was dead. He wasn't exactly my friend, but he'd become something of an elder brother, reprimanding me, yet comforting me at the same time. I sighed.

A huge growl interrupted my thoughts. The mutt behind Colt and Nick growled again, chilling me to my bones.

That's when everything burst into pandemonium.

The mutt charged at us, and Nick quickly threw an axe straight into its stomach. Obviously it didn't kill it, but it did seem to slightly injure it. Raymond, on the other hand, charged straight at Colt. Colt anticipated his attack, and ducked his first strike. He brought out two long knives of his own, but I could see his injuries. Raymond was smaller and younger, and probably less skilled with a knife, but Colt was injured in several different places.

I tried to move forward, to take out the mutt, when the blade of a sword coming straight at me stopped me. At a speed I couldn't even fathom myself, I brought up my blade and stopped the sword. Kyle stepped forward from beside me as I turned to face him. I expected malice and hatred in his eyes. But all I saw was chivalry.

"One final battle?" he raised his sword, smiling something of a genuine grin. I grinned back. We probably looked insane, smiling at the mouth of a fight. I held up my blade to match his. "You freaking bet."

Raymond and Colt were going knife-on-knife, while Nick was just jumping around, hitting the mutt when she could. The large clearing allowed space, but I focused on my opponent.

We both swung at once, our blades crashing, my golden one with his bronze one. I shoved his sword back, pushing him off balance. He slashed again, but I side-stepped and parried his move. He moved forward, I moved back.

He swung at my heart, but I ducked, swinging at his feet. He jumped in the nick of time, my sword taking off the tips of his shoe. He didn't wait, and turned in a graceful arc before bringing his blade down onto my shoulder. I jumped back, but what Kai did was an expert maneuver. He grazed my chest, pretty deep too.

But in this, his sword was away from his body and somewhat out of control. I kicked him in the shin, knocking him off balance. I picked my sword up in a hurried scoop and struck again. He blocked the move with the hilt, and locked our blades. I pushed my sword down, aiming for his neck, but he was no weakling. His eyes were red from strain, but he didn't lose the lock.

He slowly stood back up, facing me. Our faces were inches from the other, our blades locked in a cross in front of us. We were the last careers. His eyes held determination, but were devoid of hatred. Our hands shook, trying to keep up the lock, but we didn't let go.

Using an old technique, I ducked. This tipped Kai off balance, because he'd been pushing so hard on the blade. He fell forward and rolled over my back.

I took the moment to analyze what else was going on. Nick and the mutt were in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. I knew what she was trying to do. This mutt she couldn't beat by force, so she was tiring it out, waiting for it to slow down. The girl may have been stupidly rash and impulsive, but she sure was smart.

Colt and Ray were still in their deadly battle of daggers. Both were bleeding, and both were tired, Colt more so than Raymond. Their fight was slow, with the two staying down on the ground or leaning against a tree every now and then.

I turned back to Kai, who seemed to have recovered. He got up, smirking. "Nasty trick, Law." He mused. I shrugged. "Well, it worked." I replied nonchalantly. I met Kai's smirk and rushed forward.

Our blades met once again in a shower of sparks.

 **Raymond Tate(12)- D5 Male:**

I panted, my breathing ragged and heavy. My whole stance was tired and exhausted. I bent over, my hands on my knees, as Colt slowly got up off the ground. He's stayed down when I'd his wound on the back. My knives were slipping from my hands from sweat.

I moved my gaze to how Nick was doing. I wanted to smack her. I could've taken out Colt easily. She had to ruin everything. That had been my last poison knife. Now my biggest weapon was gone.

I watched her as she jumped onto the braches of a tree, leaping off onto the mutt's back. It roared and tried to shake her off, but not before she had her axe buried in its chest. However, she hadn't hit the heart, I could tell from the position of the wound.

Movement to my left caught my eye as I poised my knives again. Colt threw his knife at me, and I knew in that instance that this guy had some serious aim. I tried to leap out of the way, but the knife buried itself in my thigh anyway. I was surprised he didn't aim for a vital spot. Something told me Colt wasn't trying to kill me. I looked at him closely as he approached me. He looked bland and empty. He must've killed someone, this being the aftermath. Well, as loathsome as it made me feel, that was only my advantage.

Colt may have been intelligent, but he had a goodness to him. He walked towards me slowly, limping on his bad leg. I stayed down until he was right above me. Then, in a flash, I slashed my knife upwards, cutting through his stomach. Colt had good reflexes, so he managed to jump back, but I still got a good hit. He staggered back, clutching his bleeding stomach. The wound wasn't that deep or fatal, but it was one that would definitely hurt.

I pulled the knife out of my leg and threw it at him. A cry came from the careers as Kai slashed a deep gash on Lawson's chest. The two were equally matched in both skill and strength. That was definitely going to be a long fight. I didn't intend on making mine one. Colt was on the ground, possibly from having ducked the knife.

I struck from the top, aiming for his collarbone, which would've been fatal, but Colt blocked it with his good hand, his whole body shaking with the effort. He kicked out my legs from under me as I fell, the ground hitting my head with a nauseating effect. I blinked stars out of my eyes and shot to my feet, only to see Colt doing the same. He swung and I ducked, slicing his leg, just above the knee. He cried out in pain and collapsed to his knees, giving me the chance to get back up. I stabbed down at his heart, but he caught the strike on the hilt of his dagger. He flicked his wrist powerfully, and my knife went flying from my hand.

I stood before him, weaponless. However, he was much more injured than I was. He tried to slice my stomach, but I landed a punch at his stomach, and grabbed his wrist. I wrenched the knife out of his hand, but he grabbed y leg and pulled me off balance once more. I didn't fall, though, the knife simply went clattering from my hands.

Well, I was going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

I shoved Colt against the tree, and rammed my elbow down onto his collar, where he'd already been wounded somehow. He screamed, but I wasn't done. I fixed my grip on his wrist and snapped his arm back.

I could almost feel the bone of his shoulder as it cracked and dislocated itself.

Colt's scream was so loud and agonized, even Lawson and Kai stopped mid-battle to look over at us. Nick was screaming her ally's name, but this gave the mutt a chance to get her. It grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to a tree right beside me. She cracked her head on the trunk and slumped to the floor. The mutt came charging at her.

However, she adopted the same thing I had. Just when the mutt was on top of her, she leapt out of the way, and the mutt barreled straight into the tree, almost uprooting it with the force. The tree swayed dangerously. Nick crawled away as the Mutt lay there. She raised a shaking hand, clearly injured and weakened by the poison, which had now spread quite far. Without hesitation, she brought her axe down, chopping off the mutt's head.

I threw Colt away, and watched him collapse on the floor, writhing in pain, screaming. I stepped back, my mouth hanging open. I wasn't this… I wasn't a monster. Yet seeing what state I'd made of Colt, I could call myself nothing less than one. I turned to see Nick cough up black blood. She wasn't dying yet, but the poison had definitely started taking effect.

However, in all this, with my eyes fixated on Colt's injured form, I hadn't realized the tree behind me was really uprooted. Nick looked at something over my head with wide eyes. Before I even had time to analyze what she said, the tree swayed off its roots, and fell.

I crumpled to the ground, the tree pinning me down with the force of the fall.

 **Lawson Dean(18)-D2 Male** :

I staggered back, just having deflected one of Kai's strikes, when the yell pulled my attention away, along with Kai's. Now, I don't feel bad very often. But I could see the boy's shoulder being dislocated, almost snapping off entirely. His scream was guttural and bone-chilling.

Everything else happened in a flash. Nick killing the mutt, the tree falling on Raymond and pinning him down, Colt collapsing from his countless injuries. I could see Nick throw up some black stuff, probably from the poison, but right now, I had a fight to get back to.

Kai stood up shakily from when I had shoved him off after blocking his strike. His face was red from exertion, and he was sweating hard. My own clothes clung to me on sweat. My body bled in many different places, but I wasn't injured bad enough to back out. Kai was the same.

He came a me again, slashing like a demon. I parried every stroke of his, but his movements were getting more violent than graceful. If I could say anyhing about Kai's fighting style, it was that he fought with _style._

But now, that seemed absent from his strokes. He seemed unhinged, wanting to finish me off in any way possible. I couldn't help wonder what had done this to him. I parried his jab at my stomach and brought my elbow down onto his shoulder. He smashed his head into mine, and pain flooded up my nose as I felt it break. I fell back, and so did he, holding his shoulder. I looked at him, asking the question that had been running through my mind.

"How did Anna die?"

Kyle didn't say anything. He simply stared at the ground as he answered me.

"I killed her."

Needless to say, I was shocked. Well, shocked wasn't the word. Lightning-struck, maybe.

"What!?"

Kyle nodded, his eyes tear-filled. I couldn't speak. Not only did Kyle tell me he'd killed Anna, but he was also crying. For the first time. He took a shaky breath. "I was drugged by the Gamemakers into a murderous frenzy and I... I killed her..." he let out a shaky laugh, "she kissed me right before she died..."

I didn't even know what to say. I simply stared at him. He wiped his eyes and stood up, shooting a glance at the other three. I looked where he did. Nick was now besode Colt, having propped him at a tree. Colt's state was bad, but Nck's wasn't anything better. Her whole arms were covered with bulging green veins. I could see her shaking from this distance. And Raymond was just as bad. He bled from his nose and mouth, and I could tell from his tears that the tree had crushed his legs. If not crushed completely, definitely snapped a bone or two.

Kai lifted his sword again and swung, much more powerful this time. I met it with my blade, but the impact was enough to jolt me. But we needed to end this.

Kai kicked my leg, momentarily throwing me off balance. He took the opportunity to slice the tip of his sword across my stomach again. This wound was deeper than the first and put me in much more pain. I stabbed down at Kai's shoulder, my blade almost taking off his arm. He yelled and rammed the hilt of his sword into my face, further breaking my nose and splitting my lip. The taste of blood flooded my mouth as I kicked Kai back with all the force I could muster.

The two of us took a moment as we readied our weapons. This was it.

He charged again and I slashed. He deflected the blade and thrust his own forward, the same time as I did mine.

Blinding pain flooded my eyes as Kai gasped. I looked at our state.

His sword was in my stomach.

My sword was in his chest.

Kai fell back, taking my sword with him. Pain spiraled out from my stomach as I pulled the sword out. He hadn't run me through, but the wound was very deep. I fell to my knees beside where Kai lay, a sword sticking out of his chest. His eyes were filled with tears, his face scrunched in agony. I tried to speak, but had no words.

Kai slowly pulled out the sword. The whole clearing collapsed into silence. He looked at me.

"You were... honorable... opponent..." he rasped out. I gulped, feeling a tear make ots way down my cheek. I wasn't crying because of the pain. I was crying because I was seeing my last ally die in front of me. I met Kai's eyes.

"At first, I hated you. But now, Kyle Daniels, all I have for you is respect." I said, my voice breaking.

Kai was in too much pain to say anyhing, but the corners of his lips turned up in a smile. It conveyed serenity and a thanks he could never say. He slowly closed his eyes, resting his head against the grass.

 _Boom_

I lowered my head, closing my eyes. Silent tears fell to the ground. I had lost so much...

The temperature of the clearing was rising, and it wasn't lost on any of us that the lava line was converging, coming closer. I looked at the other three who were staring at one another and at me in a mixture of shock and agony.

Each one of us was badly injured. Colt bled from everywhere, and his arm was so badly dislocated, it hung at his side at a strange angle. Nick was slowly dying from poison, the green veins now spreading much further than just her arms, as they peeked out from under her collar. Raymknd was pinned under a tree, bleeding from internal injuries from his mouth and nose, not to mention the many wounds Colt had given him. I also hadn't escaped unscathed. I had a gapong wound in my stomach where Kai' had three inches, along with gashes everywhere.

We were painting of blood, pain and tears. All four of us were crying, even Nick who seemed to be the always happy type. Even her eyes were moist, and I could hear her sniff occasionally. I looked at the other, none of us saying anything.

We had suffered the longest. We'd been broken the hardest.

We were the last ones remaining.

We were the final Four.

~.~.~.

 **A/N: Omg this chapter. This was by far one of the best and worst chaps to write. I simply loved and hated writing this... I know, many of you thought the voctor would be announced, but you know, the cliffy monster was really nice to me so I invited him again. Hehe.**

 **Serious talk though, I cannot believe this story is almost over... I mean, I can't even say. Obviously there will be about two chaps after the Games for the rebellion and then the victory tour and then the epilogue.**

 **Also, since many of you have been asking. For my next SYOT, aka the sequel, aka Ashes of Time, the submissions will be opened after a while, because I'll probably start the story kid-Jan, and I'll start tsking submissions like, around... idk but definitely after 10th Jan. Because yes, my exams are here again. Don't worry, I will still declare the victor snd probably write one more chap before taking a break for about a week.**

 **And yes, I will be accepting Guest Submissions.**

 **ALSO, NEW POLL WILL BE UP TOMORROW. PLEASE VOTE!**

 **AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! HOPE THIS YEAR IS AWESOME FOR ALL YOU AWESOME PEOPLE!**

 **Omg the part I was dreading.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Kyle Daniels: I felt like a monster while writing this. The fight was going to be won by Kai since I'd thought about their rivalry. But then, I wrote the last few chapters and realized Lawson had a bigger scope for developement than Kai. But seriously, Kai was one of the best characters ever, and I'm so priviledged to have written about him. He was an amazing character and I loved writing for him. He was awesome in every way and I hope I could develop him well. AgentWriter, I am truly sorry. This was hard for me too... RIP Kai.. I will definitly miss you. I hope I could do your character justice.**

 **Next chapter: THE FINALE!**


	42. The Finale

**Day Eight:**

 **Part Three:**

 **The Finale:**

 **Lawson Dean(18)- D2 Male** :

Pain.

There may have been many variations of the word. Agony, suffering, hurt. But the base feeling was pain.

It felt like an animal, gnawing at my insides, threatening to destroy me from inside my very own body. It made my vision go bleak, and my limbs failed to function. I was drowning in it, the way I sunk below the surface and almost gave in, numerous times.

I collapsed to the ground in front of me, not even seeing a patch of green grass anymore. Everything was covered in blood. My blood, from my fight with Kai. Kai's blood, as it puddle around him. Raymond's blood as it flowed from his mouth and nose. Nick's black blood, which slowly crept out from her mouth. Colt's blood from his numerous wounds.

I clutched the wound in my stomach as I heard the sound of an approaching hovercraft. I tried moving away from Kai's body, but my own limbs wouldn't obey me. With difficulty, I pushed myself onto one hand and started crawling away as the claw dropped down. I turned away, shutting my eyes, as it picked up the corpse of someone I'd grown to respect so much.

I turned to the remainder of the initial twenty-Four of us. We were the strangest combination. A changed Career, an aggressive child, a hyperactive volunteer, and a broken boy. In all the combinations I had thought of in my head, we were never in one.

"This sucks." Nick muttered. Her state wasn't pitiful, but it was bad. She'd stopped coughing up blood, but I could see that the poison had spread. She didn't have much time left, but by far, she was in a better state than the rest of us. I would've given her about another hour or two. I would give the rest of us, maybe half-an hour at the maximum.

Nick clutched her axe with faltering fingers, as Colt blinked rapidly, probably trying to get the tears out of his eyes. I had no idea how he was handling so much pain. With gashes everywhere, and a terribly dislocated arm, anyone else would've passed out. Colt must have been stronger than I'd given him credit for.

And yet, it was strange how Nick's two words could sum up the entire situation. I tried sitting up, but fell back down. I couldn't go any longer. I'd underestimated the depth to which Kai's sword had sunk. He'd just about run me through. Not to mention, the other innumerable wounds his sword had inflicted on me.

"They… expect a... a fight…" Raymond gasped out. I honestly felt bad for the kid. He'd tried so hard to survive. For my part of training, I'd seen just about every Hunger Games. And I had never seen someone as young as him make it so far. Yes, that girl from Two had been there last year, but she'd basically his behind her partner and showed her fangs in the last fight. Raymond had killed three people and was about to earn a fourth kill. That was more than even me.

"I'm not fighting anyone." Nick said through gritted teeth. "I'm done fighting. I'm done seeing people die in front of me, I'm done watching my friends break, I'm done with all the freaking blood and the feeling of my axe in something else's body. I'm just so effin' done."

I peered at her through the tears in my eyes. Even in my injured state, I knew this was not something Nick would say. I knew for a fact that she was always happy and always sarcastic. Something so serious had probably never come out of her mouth.

"I'm definitely not going against anyone. I don't care at this point, honestly. I simply don't. I've been forced into way too many fights, that I would've not had. First Dwayne, then Nova, and now Raymond." Colt muttered, still holding his arm. The look in Colt's eyes was hurt and defeated, but Nick was the one who scared me. This girl had seen so much, and from what I'd seen till now, she'd probably been holding it all in. This had pushed her past her breaking point.

I tried to say something, but a roar cut me off. The very ground shook under my body. That roar wasn't something natural. My eyes widened as the truth crashed down on me.

"They're sending a mutt after us…" I rasped out.

"OH EFF THOSE-" Raymond started to yell, but was cut off by another loud roar. I slumped my head. We were doomed. They were going to have a dead victor if they continued this. I couldn't even run. My multiple wounds didn't allow me to move, much less run for my life. I tried to sit up again, and though I couldn't make it the whole way, I managed to prop myself up on one steady arm.

Movement in front caught my eyes. I looked up in surprise as Nick slowly got to her feet, helping up Colt using his uninjured hand. To my even bigger surprise, Nick wrapped her hand around Colt's neck, letting him bear some of her weight. I would've expected the other way round, but now, seeing them somewhat clearly, I understood.

Colt's legs were pretty fine. Sure, they had gashes, but Nick was weak on her feet. Nick held out her axe while Colt supported her. He couldn't hold a weapon, so she held it for him. She was weak, so he held her up. My mouth fell open. Sure, I'd seen alliances. But this was something very different.

"We have to go." Nick deadpanned. Raymond let out a laugh. "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere unless I can move this gigantic tree. Hopefully the mutt will go after more interesting targets like you guys and finish you off so I can win and they'll lift this goddamn tree off me." He said, in a way that made it crystal clear he was being utterly sarcastic. Nick turned to me. "Unless you wanna be the mutt's next meal…" she said.

I tried getting up again, but my legs gave away. I pressed the wound on my stomach, but I'd lost way too much blood. I wasn't even seeing things clearly. Things were out of focus and slightly blurry. With difficulty, I shook my head.

"There's no way I can run in this state." I said, my voice breaking for yet another time. I Nick gaped at me. "Are you freaking kidding me?" she asked, incredulous, "I'm dying of freaking poison, thank you so much Raymond, I'd buy you a chocolate if I could. And Colt here has so many injuries, if I start naming them, the mutt will have finished its dinner. And you're giving up!?"

I looked her in the eye. "You said you were done right? Well then, stop trying to save everyone! I'm done too Nick! I've watched people die too! Lisette died in my arms! I just killed Kyle, my last remaining ally! All through these Games, I was convinced I needed to win for my family and the glory, but now, I can't anymore. And you two have your alliance for support. I don't." My voice was somewhat raspy and fragile. Nick stared at me with wide eyes, but now with shock rather than condescendence. "You…"

"Run." I simply said. "Both of you, run."

Colt looked at me with more respect than anyone else ever had. I almost laughed. All my life, I'd pushed myself to my limits, trying to get respect, but now that I gave up, now was when I earned it. Respect wasn't earned by killing people or winning the Games. Respect was earned by being a human.

They didn't say anything. Colt simply started limping away, Nick tagging along, the two basically dragging each other.

I realized I'd moved very close to Raymond's tree. I pushed myself a little further, as pain threatened to suck me under again, and leaned against it. Raymond looked at me. The orange glow of the setting sun lit his face in a fiery glow. Despite what I felt, I smirked at him. "If you weren't pinned under a tree and I wasn't dying from a wound in my stomach, this would've been a chill scene." I said. Raymond seemed slightly startled at my remark, but slowly, his frown faded. I caught the hints of a smile on his lips, but just as soon as it came, it disappeared.

The temperature seemed to suddenly rise about ten more degrees, as the trees near the edge of the clearing fell back. I turned my gaze in the direction of it, which happened to be to Raymond's left, opposite the side on which I sat. I could feel horror rise to my throat.

The lava crept forward, slowly enough to take its time, but fast enough so that we didn't have much time. Raymond's eyes widened in pure terror. His face went completely devoid of color as he struggled against the tree.

"NO! NO!" He screamed. He tried to push the tree off, but obviously couldn't. I turned and tried to help, but the pain was now just about blinding me. I had no idea how I was holding onto my consciousness right now. I could barely move let alone lift a tree. Raymond looked at the slowly advancing lava his way, and turned to me.

"Kill me."

The two words earned a gasp from me. "What!?" I exclaimed. Raymond's eyes held desperation. "This is the one thing I won't let them take from me. The Gamemakers took my life. I won't let them take mt death. You think I'd rather slowly be melted than be run through with a sword!? PLEASE!" He begged, thrashing harder as the lava lining came closer. It was barely three meters away now.

Hesitantly, I reached for a knife which lay in front of me. I turned to Raymond, surprised to see him crying. "I told myself I wouldn't be afraid. Not of death. But…"

"At the mouth of death, everyone's afraid. Trust me, I know." I said as I poised the knife. Two meters away, the lava melted everything in its path. I raised the knife. "Raymond, you're by far the fiercest kid I've ever known." I said. My hand shook from the strain, but I owed him this.

I stabbed the blade straight into his heart.

Raymond's eyes flew wide, but the expression was almost immediately replaced by another. Triumph. The Gamemakers hadn't been able to take this from him. He closed his eyes slowly. A small breath escaped his lips.

 _Boom_.

Raymond's last words played in my mind. I realized one thing.

I didn't want the Gamemakers to take my death either. I wouldn't die because of their arena. I would die on my own terms. I placed my hands on the ground, and slowly pushed myself away from his corpse. I backed up very slowly, my vision now going black. I couldn't even feel anything. My hands were barely functional. I made it to a tree, with great difficulty, and slumped against it. I'd managed a distance of about four meters between the lava and me. I watched as the red liquid licked the blades of grass near Raymond's hand.

I shut my eyes and leaned my head against the tree. The pain was so strong, and no matter how much I tried to numb myself, it pushed itself to the surface. It wanted me to feel it. It wanted me to suffer. Well, I was done suffering. I was done fighting against it. I was done trying to make it.

I reached into my pocket and brought out a crumpled piece of paper.

 _No One Breaks The Law_.

I smiled sadly, tears flowing down my cheeks yet again as I leaned back once more, the lava now completely having engulfed Raymond's body. I closed my eyes.

Well, the Law had been broken so many times, there was nothing much of him left to break.

I closed my eyes and simply let go.

 _Boom._

 **Colt Marshal(17)- D10 Male:**

Stumbling.

Falling.

Staggering.

Running.

These words repeated themselves in my mind as Nick and I ran. We were running blindly. A cannon made me stop momentarily, but Nick pulled me again. I had no idea where she'd found this strength. Lawson's last words to her had somehow affected her. She was more than determined. She needed to do this.

I wondered who had just died. My heart constricted when I thought about Raymond. Yes, the boy had injured me, but he was only doing it to survive. He'd been pinned under a tree.

But my thoughts didn't stay there too long. We crashed into another small clearing, much smaller than the last and collapsed on the ground.

Now, let me tell you. I've been hurt before. But there's a difference between being hurt, and being in true agony. This was the latter. I backed up, trying to find a support, and leaned against a boulder. Beside us lay the ruins of some kind of house. Somewhat rich-looking, but a house. Nick crawled over to me. I took the opportunity to get a look at her.

She looked better than Dwayne, thank the Gods. That blood earlier must've been some immediate effect. The veins had started reaching the base of her neck, but they weren't as bad as Dwayne's had been. Her eyes were slightly red and her face was paler than usual. She caught me staring at her.

"Yes, I'm not completely dead yet, Newsflash! Now listen." She said in a serious voice. This sent a wave of worry through me. Whenever Nick Noelle was serious, something bad was about to happen.

Another cannon went off and we both paused, looking at each other with wide eyes. I broke out in a cold sweat despite the boiling heat. My hands shook at my sides. The dislocated shoulder was bad enough, but it was so bad, it went a little numb. I was used to pain now.

"We're…"

"The final two…"

Nick gulped, obviously realizing what this meant. One of us was going to die. She gave me a hard look. "I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on killing you. Are you getting any murderous thoughts?" She asked. I simply stared at her, in too much shock to say anything. She took that as a yes. "Good then. Now, lookie here. I'm gonna have to snap this arm back in place." She stated.

That broke me out of my trance. I narrowed my eyes at her. "You're kidding, right?" I asked. She glared at me. My mouth fell open. "Nick, have you _ever_ fixed a dislocated _anything_ before!?" I asked. She shrugged and placed her hands on my shoulder and wrist. My heart thumped in my chest so loudly, I could almost hear it.

"There's a first time for everything." She said.

SNAP!

I thought I knew pain. Boy, was I wrong. It felt like my whole body had been dipped in liquid agony. I was blinded by it, to the extent that I couldn't even hear the scream which escaped my mouth. I shut my eyes and fell back.

But the pain slowly started subsiding, somewhat. Nick smirked at me. "Yeah, first time correct because I'm a boss!" She yelled.

"Oh don't mind me, just half-dead here." I managed. But I knew Nick had done it well. My shoulder still hurt terribly, but at least it was at a normal angle. I still felt the same about of pain, but now I could control my limbs.

The sound of a roar disrupted my thoughts. That sounded very close.

Something crashed into the clearing, and I could feel the color drain from my face.

This mutt wasn't meant to scare us. It was meant to terrify us.

"What even..." Nick muttered obviously as speechless as I was.

The thing was relatively short, about ten feet tall, with a somewhat humanoid shape. Its body though, was made of purely lava rocks. Its fingers were jagged rocks, each ending in a fine point. All over the body, cracks appeared in the rocks, exposing pure lava below. I had no idea how this thing functioned, but it scared me big-time. It had multiple rows of razor sharp teeth, which it took pleasure in baring at us. The growl made up for the height. It reverberated inside of me, making my teeth chatter.

But one look at Nick's face, and I could tell we weren't going to be taken down too easily. I opened my jacket and peered at the five remaining knives I had. Two small, one medium, two big. I took the medium one. Nick picked up her axe.

"Distract it. I'll aim for the eyes. Once I've gotten it there, you take off the head." I told her. She looked at me. "Since when did you become a strategist?" She asked. I blinked. "About two seconds ago."

She shrugged. "We're taking that thing down." She spat.

With newfound strength, she bounded up to the monster. It slashed at her but she rolled out of the way. The girl who needed me to carry her was now fighting a mutt twice her size. It was miraculous, what circumstances could do to people.

I forced my mind to go blank. I forced myself to breathe. I sheathed my knife and brought out a smaller one. I was keeping my now-located shoulder as still as possible.

Nick dashed between the monster's legs and feet. She stumbled, and I could see the poison spread further. My mind was splitting with fesr and worry. She sunk her axe into the mutt's calf, and it shreiked. I took the opportunity. I threw the knife straight at its eye.

It yelled even louder, and I slowly got to my feet. But I could see that only hitting it in the eye wouldn't do much good, just buy us time. I brought out the big knife. I needed to hit its mouth.

"Get it to scream!" I yelled. Nick, thank every God above, understood. She yanked her axe out and ran forward. She scaled up a tree and jumped off, right onto the mutt's neck. She raised her axe high and embedded it in the thing's collar. Nick screamed as her hands touched the mutt's body. "It's HOT!" She yelled.

But I didn't waste time. I waited for it to open its mouth and scream but I hadn't seen the next move coming. It opened its mouth, and without thinking, I raised my knife to throw.

The hand came from nowhere and swept me off my feet. It didn't open its mouth to scream. It did it to roar.

My aim went off and the knife went flying astray. But I once again had bigger problems. I looked at my side, where the arm had hit me. My clothes had been burnt to nothind, and where the scorching hot rock had touched my body, the skin had burnt completely off. Needless to say, I screamed yet again. And from the shouts coming from Nick, I could tell she was facing the same.

But I needed to kill the mutt first. Once again, I numbed myself. Numbed every feeling. All I saw was my target. Nick was on the shoulder, but she wasn't facing me. She jumped down and buried her axe in the thing's heart.

NOW it screamed. And boy, did it scream. I aimed closely. This was my chance. Gritting my teeth, I threw the knife straight into its mouth.

The blade disappeared down the gullet as the mutt collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

A grin broke out all over my face as I limped forward to Nick as fast as I could. I had eyes only for my ally.

Which was why I didn't see the mutt raise its claw in a dying attempt.

I froze as blood slowly trickled from my mouth. I couldn't move. I looked down to see the tips of the claws sprouting from my stomach. The mutt hadn't just run me through. The burning hot rocks burned the wound as well.

Some people say that when you're in way too much pain, your body goes numb and you can't feel anything.

Well, that was true.

The mutt threw me over to where Nick had collapsed against a tree. I made a strangled cry as it yanked its claws out. I tried to move, but I simply couldn't.

Every nerve in my body screamed. Tears fell in torrents down my cheeks. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I couldn't even think, let alone scream. It was one thing to be stabbed. It was another to be stabbed and have that whole wound burnt.

I knew Nick was beside me. I somehow propped myself against the tree beside her, barely staying upright. I was seeing stars, which were all red. Red filled my eyes. I shut my eyes tight.

"You... win..." I croaked out.

"Open your eyes you idiot." Nick's voice was strained.

I did so, and the sight was like reliving the stabbing again.

Nick slowly pulled a dagger out of her body, just below her chest. And not just any dagger.

My dagger.

The second knife I'd thrown hadn't gone astray. It had hit Nick. I looked at her face with horror. I couldn't even speak. That was my knife... She let out a wry laugh.

"I guess this is the first time you missed, huh?"

"Nick... I..." I couldn't finish. But she shook her head. "It's not what's killin me. Yeah, it hurts as bad as hell. But true hell is..." she didn't need to finish.

This was lile Dwayne's situation all over again. The poison was torturing her from inside. She looked at me, knowing I understood. If she died, it would be quicker because of the knife and poison, not torturous.

Neither of us said anything. We were both dying. We had been burnt, broken, hurt and bloodied. And now, it all came down to this.

"Never thought it would end like this. One of us outlasting the other." I managed. The two of us had seen so much, suffered so badly, nothing affected us anymore. We were blank and empty. Even death seemed unfrightening. In fact, I didn't know what was worse.

"Well, it doesn't _have_ to end like this. I could crack open your skull with my axe." Nick mused. I cracked a smile. I was numb right now. I could see blood gushing out of my wound, staining everything, but I couldn't feel it. I turned to Nick.

"Yep. And I could stab you again with my knife." I stated. We simply held each other's gaze.

Then we started laughing. It was the dry chuckle of two friends who were literally at the face of death.

But the laughter quickly turned into tears. Nick shook with her sobs, crying fur the first time I'd ever seen her. I was crying too. Pure, pained sobbing. The pain spread everywhere, and now it demanded to be felt. I could see the blood overwhelming me.

Nick reached out and took my hand. This was it.

We both shut our eyes and leaned our heads back.

 **Third Person POV** :

The whole country held their breath. The whole of Panem sat by and watched as the two friends shook with their cries. They thought they had seen friendship. This was something else.

 _Boom._

The victor fell forward, heaving with sobs. They'd never seen someone cry so hard, especially not this person. This person who'd seemed so jolly. Who had made the whole Capitol laugh.

They never thought she'd make it this far.

They never thought he'd be in the final Two.

But these two had shocked everyone.

The lone survivor of the Games fell straight onto the ground, facing the sky. In the bloodstained hand was held one object.

A compass.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I give you... the winner... of the FIFTY-SEVENTH HUNGER GAMES..."

The victor looked up, tears flowing down the bloodstained cheeks.

"COLT MARSHAL!"

He didn't move. He didn't rejoice. He just lay there, being slowly absorbed in the pain. He clutched the compass tightly, Nick's token, which she'd slid into his hands before her last breath. Her last words still echoed in his ears. Those were his last thought before he closed his eyes and let the darkness pull him in.

"Find your way back home, will ya'?"

~.~.~.

 **A/N: ...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **I'm just...**

 **I can't belive it's over. Like. I Simply cannot. Gods.**

 **This chapter was by far the one that broke my heart the most. Killing none of these guys was easy. Like, NONE. I mean, I was writing and sniffling. Every single one was so close to my heart.**

 **I seriously wanna thank you guys. Yesterday, this story reached 500 reviews. I cannot believe it still. The support you guys have given me through this story, these Games, everything has been... just simply amazing. You guys are literally the best someone could hope for. And shout-out to Reader for being my 500th reviewer, and to every single one of you for being simply awesome.**

 **I'm going to be totally honest. This choice was beyond hard. Every time I decided a placement, I rethought it about a hundred more times because I loved them all equally.**

 **The reason I chose Colt was not because I liked him more. I liked both of them equally. Heck I liked all of them equally. But somehow I felt I could continue Colt's story through the sequel without making it seem like I was dragging it. I mean you have no idea how hard this was for me. I was actually in tears while writing these deaths. But I had to choose, and after hours of thinking, I did.**

 **I really hope you guys liked it. I mean, I tried my best at this Games, and this was my first attempt. Y'all showed me so much support, I can never thank you guys enough. Please tell me what you thought of my victor and finale!**

 **No, the story isn't over. There will be chapters after this so please don't think this is over!**

 **Also, do go check out dreams and desperation's SYOT. I did and look forward to reading more even though I do not have a tribute in because my mind has gone completely blank with all thoughts of studies and this story. But yeah!**

 **So... I will be taking a small break, maybe five or six days but I will definitely get back.**

 **Please tell me what you guys thought! Your thoughts matter so much to me, I can't even.**

 **And I'm really emotional as I come to this dreaded part.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **Raymond Tate: Raymond was without a doubt the most unique character I had recieved. He was so unbelievably different from the usual kids. He was strong and determined, and a survivor. He did wong things, but he never felt proud. He knew what had to be done and didn't hesitate. He was clever, sneaky and a very realistic character. I think it is my priviledge to have written for him. He was the youngest in the final eight, and yet he has the highest number of kills. He was amazing, really. Reader, I'm so so so so so sorry. Really. I loved Raymond. Unfortunately, it was simply his time. RIP Raymond. I will miss you a lot.**

 **Lawson Dean: HARDEST. DECISION. EVER. I cannot tell you how hard this was. This was quite possibly the toughest death for me to write because I deleted and rewrote it so many times because I simply couldn't. Lawson was, I think (and hope) the character whom I developed most. He wasn't just a career. He was a human. His change of heart, the friendship with Lisette, and simply his character was so amazing. And he even had the highest kills, along with Raymond. I can never thank you enough AgentWriter. Unfortunately, I can also never apologize enough. I loved Lawson. I truly did. But... I truly am sorry. Thank you so much for giving me the priviledge of writing about him. RIP Law... You will be dearly missed.**

 **Nick Noelle: Good God. This part, I was actually crying. Nick was never my victor, in fact, she was gonna go before even the top Eight. But as I wrote for her, I started loving her character so much. She would put the laughter in the serious moments. She was rash and impulsive, but also stupidly helpful. She was so much fun to write for because not often do Games have humor. However, I just didn't see her winning, or how I could continue with her. But then, that doesn't change the fact that she was one of the best characters I had written for. Nick Noelle, I will miss you so much. WGGTD1916 I'm so freaking sorry. RIP Nick... I'm sure everyone will miss you.**

 **The Victor:**

 **Colt Marshal: Colt. Ah, Colt. What can I say? He was simply amazing. In fact, that doesn't even describe him. He was everything I could've asked for. He was a realistic and relatable character who I could develop in so many ways. I never thought he'd be my victor, but I wrote for him, this eventually happened. He was a character I just about shattered emotionally, and now, I'm going to work with him even further, possibly patching him up, possibly breaking him more. The thing with Colt was, he was such a realistic character. And I hope I developed him well. Joseph, I can never thank you enough for such an amazing character.**

 **Please keep reading because this story will continue in the sequel... so... yeah. I hope you guys enjoyed the fifty-seventh Hunger Games as much as I enjoyed writing it for y'all.**

 **:")**

 **Death list:**

Almiro-6th-rescued, kill credited to Raymond Tate **  
**Siobhan-18th- killed by Raymond Tate  
Lawson-3rd- succumbed to injuries  
Bellona-22nd-killed by Absalom Sawyer

Kyle-5th- killed by Lawson Dean  
Anna- 9th- killed by Kyle Daniels

Eva-16th-killed by Gamemaker trap  
Blake- 7th- killed by Lawson Dean  
Avena-15th- Killed by Blake Coleman

 **Colt- VICTOR**  
Nick- 2nd-Killed by Raymond Tate/ Colt Marshal  
Nova- 8th- killed by Colt Marshal

Dwayne-12th- Poisoned by Raymond Tate, mercy-killed by Colt Marshal  
April-23rd-killed by Bellona Irving  
Otto-21st-killed by Kyle Daniels  
Lisette-10th- killed by Fireballs (Gamemaker Trap)

Frankie-Leigh-13th-killed by Volcano (Gamemaker trap)

Absalom-11th-killed by Blake Coleman

Raymond-4th-killed by Lawson Dean

Regina Anna-14th- made it out of the arena; kill credited to Absalom Sawyer

Isaac-24th-killed by Lawson Dean

Gigabyte-20th-killed by Dwayne McCane

Hartley-19th-killed by mutts

Ruben-17th-Killed by Anna Austen

 **Until next time then...**


	43. Stopping the Parasite

**During the final battle:**

 **At the Capitol:**

 **Thaddeus Sheen(24)- Head of Traps and Mutts/ Gamemaker:**

"Uh, just to be sure, what exactly is the plan here?" Dane asked, sounding somewhat afraid of what he might hear. Thaddeus didn't bother looking back as he cautiously set one foot in front of the other, making his way down the hall. There was a very small Peacekeeper force assigned to this area, the storehouse. The Peacekeepers only came here for extra ammunition, which was a necessity very rarely. There was one guard, but he was stationed far from where Thaddeus and Dane were now. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

Thaddeus could hear the mechanical whirring of the anti-camera device as it shot another laser beam into yet another camera, freezing the footage. Dane cleared his throat. "Uh, Thaddeus? I'm guessing you have a highly thought out, kick butt mastermind plan, right?" he asked, his voice squeaking by the end of the sentence. Thaddeus turned around this time and gave Dane his trademark eye roll.

"Dane, why do you think I always have a plan? Sometimes I go based on pure instinct." He stated. All color drained from Dane's face as the device in his hands shook. The younger boy's eyes widened as he gave Thaddeus a look of abject terror. Thaddeus couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips.

"Yes, Dane, I do have a plan." He assured him. Dane blinked, trying to process what he'd just said, before some of the color returned to his cheeks. Thaddeus turned back and kept walking, keeping his gun positioned in a manner that he could shoot at the first sight of any trouble. He could feel Dane's inquisitive eyes at the back of his head, and sighed.

"Gods Dane. Trust me for once, would you? I cant sit here and have a whole session of explaining the plan to you, because time is not something that we have. So either you can follow me and do your part well, or we can sit here, perhaps grab a chair or something, and I'll explain the plan to you, while Bruce probably has the whole Peacekeeping force out to look for my butt." He snapped.

He could feel Dane relax slightly behind him, and smirked. Dane was a good kid at heart, and even Thaddeus knew. He just wished the boy wouldn't be so inquisitive all the time.

Thaddeus was glad to have Dane on his side. The boy had taken Frankie's death hard. And now, with Raymond gone too, he couldn't believe what was going through Dane's mind. He'd expected Dane to break down, but he'd dkne the exact opposite. The boy had hardened his resolve and rooted his hatred for the Capitol. He'd become stronger.

Dane fidgeted with the Anti-Camera device. A strange little thing that was. It looks something like a laser, which it technically was. It sent a coded stream of lasers into the camera, which disabled the feed. However, Dane had designed it to only freeze the feed the Capitol saw, so they would be staring at the same screen for hours, with the time ticking. However, Thaddeus had hacked into the Capitol's feed. Their line wouldn't be disabled. He had a 'friend' of his watch the screens at this very moment. Almiro was required to meet up with that friend. He could only hope Almiro did his job well. But he trusted the guy. He knew Almiro would be able to do it.

Thaddeus pointed up ahead. "Yeah, I see it. It's right over there." He said, walking faster. Dane hurried to keep up with him, shooting the laser at another camera before Thaddeus came in its range. "Hey, wait up!" He called out, struggling to keep up with the older guy. Thaddeus didn't pay him much heed, but slowed his pace down in the slightest. Dane was thankful for the lack of cameras in this dimply lit place, for he was getting slightly tired of aiming the laser at the things in the air while running.

Thaddeus stopped in front of what seemed to be a door. He looked at Dane, who looked back at him with confusion. Thaddeus pushed the door open to reveal a staircase. Dust greeted the two as he rapidly waved his hand in front of his face, coughing. "Come on." He ordered. He heard Dane heave a soft sigh behind him, but he followed nonetheless.

There were absolutely no lights in the descending staircase. Thaddeus fished out a small flashlight from his pocket and turned it on, pointing it at the ground beneath him. He felt Dane's hand on his shoulder, the other boy needing support, due to his occupation with the device he held.

"Uh-"

"Yes, I'll tell you." Thaddeus cut him off. "This staircase was used for the avoxes' travelling before there was sme kind of accident down here. I think someone fell and died. The Capitol couldn't care less about the well being of the Avoxes, but they didn't want to lose their slaves, so they made a servant elevator. However, this staircase, though abandoned, leads to the deepest parts of the building. Like the underground cellar in which they're keeping the virus." He said.

"But Thaddeus, won't the cellar have like, dozens of Peacekeepers around it? How're we going to get through that?" Dane asked. Thaddeus nodded. "I have a plan for that too. That you leave up to me. Now, the virus isn't the only thing we need. We need the papers which hold the formula of the virus along with the preparation. Not only will stealing those prevent them from making it again, but Kimi needs it to neutralize the virus." He informed him.

Dane started to ask something else, but Thaddeus held up a hand, almost smacking Dane in the face. They'd reached the bottom of the staircase, and now they needed to be extra careful. Thaddeus had no doubt of Bruce's sadistic nature. The guy wouldn't want him dead. He'd be captured and tortured. Thaddeus could feel his throat go a little dry, but he didn't really care.

He fit his earpiece and heard the static cackle through. They didn't have very good reception down here, but it was good enough to hear the young man's voice on the other end.

"Thaddeus?" He asked. Thaddeus knew he was sittin somewhere in the Training Centre "Yeah, I'm here. Listen, how many Peacekeepers are there? Around the safe I mean." He inquired. There was silence for a moment before he answered. "There's got to be at least thirty. Thaddeus, this isn't really safe. Maybe you shoul-"

"Hey, I'm not turning back. End of story. Now listen. We're going to have to shift to plan B. You know what to do right?" he asked. He heard him sigh at the other end. "Yeah, unfortunately I do. I'll get out as soon as I get your message. Almiro's with me, before you ask." He said, sensing Thaddeus' next question. Thaddeus chuckled softly. He pulled his earpiece out and set his foot down onto the last stair, feeling in front of him for the door. His hand brushed the surface of the door and he paused, holding his breath. "Dane, you ready?" he whispered.

"Yeah." Dane whispered back, his voice shaking. The boy must've been really terrified, for he wasn't even asking his usual string of questions. Thaddeus nodded and loaded his gun. Taking a deep breath he threw open the door.

Dane shot the laser into the camera as two Peacekeepers turned to face them. Thaddeus didn't hesitate before pulling the trigger, emptying two bullets into their hearts. They fell to the floor, unmoving. He could hear Dane gasp behind him, and paused. He turned back to see the boy slightly pale.

"Dane, I know what this is like. But remember. These people have killed others. They torture innocent people for their entertainment. I take no pride in becoming a killer, but to save the lives of that many, I really don't care what it does to me." He said firmly. Dane nodded. "It's just, I hadn't thought of this involving any murder, which now that I think about it was pretty stupid." He said, adding a nervous laugh at the end. Thaddeus patted his shoulder. "There are no heroes here Dane, and even if there were, I wouldn't be one of them. I'm not being chivalrous or honorable. I'm doing what is right."

Dane nodded, a firmer look coming over his face. Then, his eyes widened as he glanced behind Thaddeus. The latter didn't even wait before turning around sharply and aiming at the Peacekeeper advancing on him. The Peacekeeper poised his gun to their face, probably about to bark out an order, but a crack from Thaddeus' gun, and a bullet had lodged itself in the man's brain, shattering the helmet. He fell forward as Thaddeus and Dane advanced, Dane shooting the lasers like crazy.

Thaddeus spotted what he needed a few feet ahead. He marched up to it as Dane shot the last camera in the vicinity. The young victor looked at him. "A fire alarm?" he asked skeptically. Thaddeus smirked again. "You'll be amazed at how the simplest of things can make the biggest difference." He said as he smashed the glass.

An ear-piercing buzzer rang throughout the hall, and it took both of them all their will to not cover their ears. Thaddeus grabbed Dane's shirt and pulled him forward, waiting at the end of the hallway. He glanced out, to see the entrance of the safe. He smiled as he watched the peacekeepers shuffling out, leaving the safe virtually unattended.

"They're going to the President's room. It's either that or to go put out the fire, which my friend and Almiro should be setting in the Training centre by now. It's protocol, and the Peacekeepers don't know what's in that safe, so they'll have no choice but to follow it. Besides, the safe is fireproof, so they need to protect their president first." He said. He slowly walked forward, their ears growing accustomed to the alarm. Thaddeus looked around to make sure there were no Peacekeepers, as Dane disabled the cameras. When the coast was clear, the two ran to the safe.

Thaddeus stopped in front of the huge metallic door. He pressed his ear against the lock and turned the giant wheel. He heard the first click, and stopped, smiling. He quickly did the same with the two outer rings, knowing very well they didn't have much time. As the third wheel clicked into place, the door swung open, revealing what lay inside.

"the outer door was nothing. This is the real deal." Thaddeus explained as he walked into the huge chamber, Dane following closely, looking at everything in awe. Thaddeus sighed. "Dane, you look like a kid who's just seen the Tooth Fairy. Close your mouth." He snapped. He pointed to the smaller safe in front of them, he surface made out of shimmering titanium, the keypad to the combination gleaming in white. He knelt in front of it. "Oh Almiro, you better have heard her correctly." He whispered as he touched the keypad, his hands shaking slightly.

Slowly, carefully, he punched in the combination.

Thaddeus and Dane held their breaths, cringing, expecting the worst.

The safe door swung open, to reveal a canister filled with a murky green substance. Thaddeus grinned and let out a breath. He reached into the safe and brought the canister out, holding it tightly. It was made of double walled bulletproof glass, so even if he dropped it from the top of the training centre, it wouldn't do it much harm. He swung off his backpack and brought out the metal case. He carefully opened the lid and took out the other canister, holding a murky liquid similar to the Parasite virus. He placed the virus carefully into the slot and placed the replacement into the safe. He hurriedly packed everything up and swung his backpack on.

He closed the door and heard the lock click. Dane's awed expression was ignored entirely as the two shuffled out, Dane stumbling a little. Thaddeus didn't hesitate before closing the door to the larger vault behind them, turning the wheels into the position he remembered seeing them in. Without wasting another moment, he turned Dane around as they ran for the staircase they'd come from.

They burst into the unlit staircase as Thaddeus switched his flashlight on. Dane's eyes shown like those of a cat's. "You're carrying a deadly parasite virus which could kill more than tens of thousands of people in a backpack. On your back. In a cloth backpack. The virus." Dane seemed to be at a loss of words. Thaddeus waved it aside.

"It won't be harmed. I need to take it to Kimi. Now, listen. The Peacekeepers have probably realized by now where the fire is. They would have run to the president's office initially, but the President is only evacuated if there is an inescapable crisis, and then it's done in his own hovercraft. Since the fire shouldn't be too large, they'll focus on putting out the fire. Which means the President's office won't be so heavily guarded. We need to go there."

Thaddeus stopped him before he could ask. "The papers of the virus are there. I eavesdropped on Heathers and Leor. Now, the president has a personal dumbwaiter, the path of which originates in this level. I know where it is, but…" he paused. "Dane, this is gonna get dangerous. We're putting our lives at risk here, and I can't ask so much of you. You helped with the device till now, but now, I want you to go back to your level. See what they're doing. I don't…" he sighed. He was never a caring and emotional person, and he wasn't about to break that, but he really didn't want anyone else getting hurt.

"Thaddeus, listen to me. I didn't come all this way to chicken out. The Capitol deserves this. They can't kill more people. I'm doing this not only for all those innocent people, but also for Frankie and Raymond." His voice broke, but he continued. "So I'm coming along. Whether you like it or not." he said. He couldn't see it, but Thaddeus smiled a genuine smile, something he didn't do often. Then, once again, he threw open the door, running out, Dane running out after him.

Thaddeus reached the small slot for the dumbwaiter and pulled the door open. The fit would be tight for the two of them, but they didn't have a choice. He looked back at Dane, who nodded.

"Let's do this."

 **Almiro Fitzroy(18)- Survivor of the Fifty Seventh Hunger Games:**

Almiro knew his job well. That didn't mean he had to like it.

Tiptoeing into the Head gamemaker's room when he was literally supposed to be dead was nothing short of a risk. But he knew he had to do this. He owed it to Thaddeus. The guy had saved his life. Almiro wanted nothing better than to know who won his Games, but he knew his priorities. He could only pray for either Kai or Lawson. But from what he knew, even Nick and Colt were threats. And Raymond was more viscous than a snarling wolf.

He stopped at the end of the hallway and peeked out, spotting the man instantly. Bruce paced outside of his room, looking intensely worried. Almiro knew the reason was probably himself. He took a deep breath and headed out into the hallway.

Bruce's head snapped up, but before he could even register what was going on, Almiro leapt at him and sank the dart into his neck. The liquid inside emptied itself into the man's body, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, as he slumped forward. Almiro grunted under his weight, for he was probably somewhere around a good five inches taller than himself.

He pushed open the door to the Gamemaker's room, barely managing to keep the man in his arms steady. He didn't bother with chivalry. This monster had murdered countless people. Almiro felt nothing but loathing towards him. He threw Bruce to the ground and ran back outside to close the door.

"Hey!" A peacekeepers' voice stopped him. He didn't hesitate before pulling out his knife and stabbing it straight into the man's chest. These people weren't human. They were puppets for the Capitol. The man fell back as Almiro grabbed the rifle out of his hands. He vaguely remembered learning how to use these in training, but he was no expert. However, it was a good weapon to have.

He ran forward, to the emergency staircase. He found himself running down, feet thudding against the surface of the stairs. He knew his destination, and after sprinting down four flights of stairs to the Training Centre two floors below, he stopped momentarily to catch his breath. He didn't wait for long though. He pushed the door open and ran into the training centre.

At the poison plants station, there sat a lone figure, staring at three computer screens, looking at them intently. Almiro's breath hitched when he saw who it was.

"CLOS!?"

The other boy's face lit up as he heard his voice. Almiro ran forward and tackled him into a hug. He gripped him so tight, he was honestly afraid of breaking his bones. However, neither seemed to care much.

"Oh my gods, I'm so glad you're alive!" Clos said, pulling away. Almiro laughed, holding his hand. "How'd you get here? What're you doing?" He asked. Clos smiled. "Helping Thaddeus with the rebellion, same as you." He said, as he turned back to the screens. They showed live footage of what was going on.

"Thaddeus hacked into all of this!?" Almiro asked, marveling. Clos laughed in response. Thaddeus seemed to be much more intelligent than he came across.

"It was at the family interviews. There've been uprisings all over, Almiro. Thaddeus cornered me and asked if I wanted to join them. I didn't wait two seconds before saying yes, especially when he told me he could save you. Becca and your parents are in Thirteen, they were smuggled there with a few other families. I wasn't the only one Thaddeus recruited." He said. Almiro didn't bother asking who else. Now was not the time.

Clos' speaker cackled and Thaddeus' voice came through. Clos signaled to the screens and Almiro focused on them, as Clos engaged in a conversation with the Gamemaker. All Almiro heard was something about a plan B.

Suddenly, a skull-splitting alarm rang through the centre, and Almiro cringed. He knew this must've been a part of the plan when Clos calmly got up and headed to the fire-making station. He picked up two sticks and rubbed them together furiously.

Almiro's eyes widened as a small fire caught, rapidly spreading through the wood kept there. "No time." Clos said curtly as he was about to ask. The other boy ran up to their place and started packing away the laptops, transferring all the feeds to one tablet. "What's going on?" Almiro asked, clueless.

"Time to go." Clos answered.

 **Thaddeus Sheen(24)- Head of Traps and Mutts/ Gamemaker:**

The dumbwaiter ride was uncomfortable, to say the least. Dane shifted every two seconds, making it almost impossible for Thaddeus to stay still. "Dane, you move one more time, I'm gonna empty a bullet into your head." He threatened. Dane stopped and looked at him with wide eyes, but before he could say anything, the dumbwaiter dinged.

Thaddeus' throat leapt into his mouth as the door opened. The two boys tumbled out, right onto the plush flooring. "Dane get the door!" Thaddeus yelled, as the younger of the two ran and clicked closed the door to the President's office.

Leor himself sat at his desk, shocked into silence at what had just transpired. Dane had managed to disable the cameras when they'd gotten out, and now stood beside the President's desk, panting. Thaddeus was facing Leor. A smile crossed Leor's face.

"I should've known. It had to be you. You were never one of us, were you? Always the good boy, always the hero." He taunted Thaddeus, who snarled. "I'm no hero, but I know what's right." He snapped back. He could feel the anger boiling inside of him, seeing this monster's face.

Clos and Almiro had to have left by now. They would meet up with Alma in the basement, where all the other hovercrafts were kept, where _they_ had kept the hovercraft. The hovercraft was due to pick them up in twenty minutes. It hadn't been easy, hacking into all those cameras of the Capitol, but Thaddeus had managed, and now, no one had any idea that the hovercraft they were looking for was in their own basement. Thaddeus could only hope they got out in time.

"What do you think you'll do? And what of this boy, Thaddeus? You've condemned him to death." Leor said, sneering at Dane, who simply glared back. But he knew Leor was correct. Thaddeus, however, simply smirked. "The cameras have been disabled, and no one knows about him. Well, except you." He said.

Before anyone could react, Thaddeus raised his gun and fired a bullet straight into the President's head.

Leor's head whipped back as the blood splattered against the wall behind him. Thaddeus froze.

He'd just killed another man. Yes, he had killed the Peacekeepers, but that had been in self-defence. Leor hadn't exactly tried to kill him. he looked down at the gun in his hand, which trembled from the aftershock.

Dane, on the other hand, was panicking. He pointed at Thaddeus, with wide eyes and ragged breaths. "Oh my god, oh my god, you just… YOU JUST SHOT THE… OH MY GODS!" He yelled, seeming close to a panic attack.

Tears stung Thaddeus' eyes, but he knew he needed to keep it together. He glared at Dane. "SHUT UP!" He yelled, which effectively shut him up. Thaddeus exhaled hard. "Now, the file was kept in his drawer." He stated, moving closer to the President's drawer. He steeled his nerves and ignored the corpse beside him. Thaddeus was now probably Public Enemy Number One, but he didn't care . He needed to save the people from the Parasite, and as he told Dane before, he didn't care what it did to him.

Thaddeus rummaged for a minute in the drawer before finding the file. It was kept so nonchalantly because no one would think of even coming to this place. Well, no one other than someone as crazy as himself.

Suddenly his ear piece burst out static and out came Clos' rushed voice.

"Thaddeus, you have to get out of there now!" The boy yelled. Thaddeus froze. What was going on?

"I don't know how, but at least thirty Peacekeepers are headed your way. I have no idea what's going on, but Almiro and I are in the hovercraft. We'll reach there in around ten minutes. Thaddeus, finish whatever you're doing and get out now!"

Thaddeus shook as he looked at Dane's terrified face. This wasn't supposed to happen. How did they know!? Bruce had been given enough tranquilizer to knock out ten men, so there was no way. He shook his head. No, now was not the time to think about this. If the Peacekeepers found Dane here, they'd kill him. Thaddeus couldn't let that happen.

"Dane, trust me. This is for your own good." He said as he moved forward. Before the other boy could react, he grabbed Dane's head and smashed it against the table. Dane slumped to the floor, unconscious, as the door was thrown open.

Peacekeepers flooded into the room as Thaddeus backed up to the window. He held up his gun at them, as they loaded their rifles. Thaddeus clenched his teeth, not letting terror overwhelm him. He could see the Peacekeepers put their fingers on the trigger.

"Stop!"

Thaddeus' eyes widened in horror as the Peacekeepers parted to reveal a figure standing amidst them, smirking at Thaddeus. "We need this one for questioning. Don't we Thaddy-boy?"

"You." Thaddeus managed, his voice shaky and raspy. The person nodded. "Surprised?"

Thaddeus was looking at the stone cold eyes of Rayne Hale.

His best friend.

His heart stopped as he tried to take deep breaths. In all the times in his life, never had he felt so… shattered. He couldn't even move. Tears threatened to spill. It felt as though someone had yanked out the floor from under him. "Rayne…" he couldn't even speak.

"Aw, sweetie…" she said, before pulling out a gun from her belt. Without hesitating, she shot a bullet straight into Thaddeus' leg, just above the knee.

He collapsed, pain shooting up from the wound. It threatened to knock him out, but he couldn't do that. He looked up at Rayne's sneering face, his own expression hurt, betrayed and shocked. "Why…?" He asked, his voice starting to break. He couldn't believe it. Rayne Hale, his best friend since twenty years. How could she have betrayed him!?

"Really Thaddeus? What do you think is the reason? Power, of course! Over the course of these long and dragging twenty years of being stuck as your little friend, I realized that friendship, loyalty, and trust had no meaning. Power was everything. No one sees me, Thaddeus. They all see you. And now, with you gone, they'll see me. I'll finally get the power I deserve." She snarled at him.

Thaddeus could feel his whole world falling apart. This was the one person he'd trusted. The one person he truly cared about. He had never felt so utterly weak and helpless. Not even after his Games. The pain of the bullet in his leg was nothing compared to this.

"Oh don't look so sad Thaddy, I'm not killing you." Rayne mused. Thaddeus glared at her with every ounce of loathing he felt toward her. "You might as well be."

Rayne scoffed and looked over at the President's corpse. She looked back at Thaddeus with a smirk. "Wow, Thaddy, didn't think you had the guts to do that. I mean, murder the President of Panem? And what about this sweet boy over here?" She gestured towards Dane.

Thaddeus smiled triumphantly inside of himself. Rayne knew almost nothing of his plans. He'd kept her away to protect her, but apparently it served another purpose as well. He grunted. "That kid? Help me? Yeah, right. You've made good lapdogs here. The idiot tried to resist me. He came in the way. Now, unlike some people, I'm not a total monster, so I didn't kill him. Just knocked him out so he wouldn't interfere." He declared. He hoped he sounded convincing enough.

"Ma'am, what do we do with him?" A Peacekeeper asked. Rayne held Thaddeus' gaze, pondering it. "Like Bruce said. He'll talk after seeing the little gifts we have for him."

Thaddeus looked out the open window behind him. It was at least a three story drop. Ther was no way he'd survive that. Then his eye caught something else and he smiled. He looked at his watch. Ten minutes were up.

He looked back at Rayne. "You want information? Well, good luck with that, witch." He spat. He stood up shakily, startling Rayne, who seemed confused. He smirked and did the two-finger salute he'd seen Nick Noelle do in the Games. The whirring of the hovercraft was very close, and even Rayne heard it.

"Adios." Thaddeus sneered as he turned around and jumped out the window.

At first he was fallibg through nothing, his eyes shut tight, the wind whipping at his face. Then suddenly, his stomach hit something hard as he landed on what was definitely not somehing very comfortable.

The extended ramp of the hovercraft had stopped his fall. He looked back as Almiro and Clos started pulling the ramp in. Rayne's expression was beyond enraged. She aimed and started firing. Thaddeus tried to evade the bullets, but a sharp pain in his side and he knew he'd been hit. Pain started to pull him in.

He was vahuely aware of bein dragged into the hovercraft as the door closed. Clos was screaming something about autopilot, but Thaddeus couldn't hear him. He was being absorbed in the betrayal of his best friend. Rayne hadn't just betrayed him. She'd shattered his trust. And quite possibly shattered him too.

He simply remembered her sneer before blacking out.

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: OHHHHH. YES I DID JUST DO THAT YES YES YES. THADDEUS KILLED THE PRESIDENT. RAYNE IS BAD. ALMIRO IS AWESOME AS USUAL. CLOS IS SO NICE. DANE IS DANE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. HAHAHAHAHAH.**

 **Yeah, this makes no sense. Oopsie. :)**

 **Right so I know some things may seem unexplained here, but I assure you, they will be explained in the next chapter. So please, don't be confused! Or wait... I mean... wait...**

 **Okay, so basically this happens as the fight for the victor is going on, after Nick and Colt ran away, and after Raymond's death. I'll explain the background further in the next chapter but yeah. I seriously hope you guys liked this chapter! This was one of the only chapters which didn't break my heart. I quite liked writing this... Hope you guys liked reading it!**

 **I know, there was no Colt and there was very less Almiro, but I can tell ya they'll get big parts later on. Both of them. I just figured this was the way to go with this chap. Next chapter will be the interview and Colt's aftermath. Hopefully it'll be good... -.-;**

 **SO WHAT DIDJU GUYS THINK? THADDEUS GOT THE PARASITE! What did you think of his plan? And what of the way he saved Dane? AND WHAT ABOUT RAYNE'S BETRAYAL? AND ALMIRO IS REUNITED WITH CLOS! Tell me what you guys thought because I cannot even tell you how much I loe hearing from you guys. Seriously. You guys are the best. :""""")**

 **Also, I cannot believe I forgot this, but the credit or the mutt in the last chapter goes to Jms2. I ran out of ideas and he was very helpful. So HUGE shout out to him! He's a really cool person and an amazing author, so y'all shiuld go read his stories too.**

 **Hope you liked this chap!**

 **Until next time then...**


	44. Aftermath

**Aftermath:**

 **Colt Marshal (17)- Victor of the Fifty-Seventh Hunger Games** :

I moved my right arm, trying to see if I felt any pain at any angle. Nothing. I felt nothing. These Capitol Doctors worked magic. A few hours ago, my hand had felt as though it had been yanked off my body. Now, I felt nothing, not even a dull throb.

The only pain I felt at the moment was that in my stomach, where the mutt's claws had run me through. They'd told me they'd had to replace something in my abdomen, but they hadn't gone into the details, and I honestly didn't want them to. I looked down at my stomach, and though I couldn't see it through my shirt, I knew the scars were still present. Not even the Capitol could get rid of scars like those so fast.

I sat in the stylist's room, waiting as the prep team gathered their materials. Very now and then they would squeal and either pull my cheek or go off into some speech about how proud I'd made them. I politely nodded to whatever they were saying, but I really wanted Lavender to get here. Now, don't get me wrong, I had nothing against my prep team. But when you've come out of the Games, trust me, the last thing you want is someone pulling your cheeks.

I still didn't really know how to react. I mean, never in my life had I thought I'd be in this situation. My life had always been easy-going, relaxed and fairly normal. I had no tragedy in my past, my family didn't starve, I didn't have to do some illegal job to get by. I had a normal family, with normal friends. Nothing in my life screamed 'VICTOR'. Sure, I had a little talent with knives, but in all honesty, I had no idea how I'd won those Games.

Just thinking about the Games made Nick's face flash in front of my eyes. The way she'd pushed her compass into my hands at the last moment. The final smile she'd given me before saying those words of hers.

"Find your way back home, will ya'?"

I still held the compass. That was the first thing I'd asked for when I'd woken up. I rubbed my fingers against the gray metal surface. I opened the top, to peer at the magnetic needle inside. It wasn't anything extraordinary to look at, a relatively plain needle with simple markings. On the top, four names were engraved. I remembered them to be the group of friends I'd seen Nick with at the reapings. Matt, Connor, Krista. Krista had been the girl Nick had volunteered for.

I wonder what they now, having seen their friend come so close to victory, but not make it back. I wondered for a moment whether they blamed me for Nick's death.

I shoved these thoughts out of my mind. I wasn't going to do this. I hadn't let the Games break me completely. Sure, I was just about hollowed out inside from what those days had made me face, but I wasn't going to break down. Nope. I hadn't broken down in the Games, and I wasn't going to because of the aftermath. If anything, I owed it to Nick and Nova. Heck, I owed it to all those twenty three other tributes who had died.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by the opening sound of the door. I looked up and despite myself, let a grin break out over my face.

"Now, there's my sweet little boy!" Lavender exclaimed as she ran forward to wrap me in a hug. I hugged her back, which was slightly uncomfortable in the chair I was sitting on. She pulled away and turned my head from one side to another, taking a good look at what the Prep team had done.

She seemed to be satisfied with what she saw, because she smiled at the others. "I'll handle it from here. You can leave." She said softly. My prep team quickly shuffled out, leaving me with the elderly stylist. She hadn't done much to herself, except for her unnaturally curly blonde hair and multi-colored eyes. She smiled at me. "Now, Colt, let's get you ready, shall we?"

Around fifteen minutes later, I found myself standing in front of the mirror, looking at my reflection in it. I wore a simply brown tuxedo which brought out the brown in my eyes. I had on a white shirt underneath that, which was accompanied by denim jeans. My hair fell into my forehead as a natural fringe, and I didn't seem to be showing any scars. I didn't look breathtakingly handsome, nor was I extraordinary. I looked simple and normal. And that's the way I liked it.

I sat back down on the chair as Lavender put the final touches in my hair, brushing it the way she wanted, but not doing too much of anything. She set down the brush after a few strokes and put her hands on my shoulder, smiling. She peered at me in the mirror and sighed.

"What?" I asked, looking back at her. She shook her head. "I'm just thinking about how different you look. From the last time you sat in that chair." She stated, patting my shoulder. "The last time, your eyes held a kind of mirth, a happiness not many tributes hold in the games. They held a spark. Do you know what I see now?" She asked. I shook my head, wanting her to go on. She gave me a sad smile.

"Nothing. I see nothing. It's like the Games emptied you of everything Colt. You don't want to _feel_ anymore. And that doesn't surprise me. No, it frightens me." She told me, as I looked at her again. Her words couldn't have been truer. I was about to respond when the door opened again. A girl a few years older than me walked in, and I recognized her. "Kimaya Canterstein?" I asked, standing up and holding out my hand. She paused to look at my outstretched hand, and simply laughed. She walked straight up to me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Now, we haven't officially met, but you know me, and I definitely know you, so no need for introductions, yes?" She chuckled. She nodded at Lavender. "They'll be happy with you..." she said. Lavender gave us a sad smile. "I sure hope so... people need something, what with the president ill... I hope he get's well soon..." she said. Kimi set her lips tight, but quickly smiled. She hugged Lavender, who patted my back and went out. Kimi took my hand.

"Colt…"She started. She looked up at me, her eyes moist. "I cannot tell you how I feel right now. You're the first Victor I brought home. And what you did out there, that was extraordinary. I won't say I'm proud of what you did, because The Games is not something to be proud of. I'm proud of _you_ Colt. Now, I could say a whole speech all night long, and it would be really emotional, but I have a feeling they want you on the stage in five minutes, so we better get going, yes?" She grinned. I returned the expression with a small smile of my own.

Kimi led me through hallways, till the point where I got lost. I only knew of our location when I found myself standing backstage, as the crowd went crazy onstage. Kimi squeezed my hand in a reassuring manner. This girl was strange. In a good way, though. I barely knew her, and she was acting as though we were lifelong buddies.

However, I really needed to gather my wits right now. I never had much of stage anxiety, but that was before I went into the Games. Now, going out there, facing the very people who were congratulating me for killing people. And then the Games would be replayed. I didn't know how I could face reliving those things again.

"Hey, Colt." Kimi turned me to face her. "I know what you're thinking. I thought the same. You don't have to be nervous. Just take a deep breath, and calm yourself down. You've already lived through it. It's hell, I know. But if hell didn't break you once, don't let it get to you the second time. Remember, you're doing this for your family, and for your friends. You'll do fine." She said softly. I managed a small smile before I heard Caesar's booming voice.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE VICTOR OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH HUNGER GAMES, COLT MARSHAL!"

Taking that as my not-so-subtle cue, I took a deep breath and walked onstage.

The lights blinded me for a moment, but I still managed to flash the audience a smile. I could hear them go ecstatic, but I blanked them out. I wasn't going to let it get to me. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my eyes to adjust. I let Caesar lead me to the Victor's seat, as y eyes finally adjusted. I looked at the sea of insane looking Capitolites who were our audience for today. Before I could even comprehend what I felt towards them, Caesar started the interview.

"Colt! I must say, are we happy to see you. As we all know, our president is ubfortunately very ill, so while we hope and pray he get's better soon to congratulate you, let's congratulate you ourselves first eh? You know, towards the end, many here wanted you to win. They all remembered that happy-go-lucky, cheerful boy who made us all laugh. What do you feel right now, sitting here?" he asked.

I stared at him blankly. What did I feel? How was I supposed to answer that? I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I could almost picture Nick standing in front of me, laughing her head off.

 _Wow, Colt, you clammed up faster than a crab when someone puts their finger into its claws_

I shook my head, but the imaginary Nick had helped. I let out a weak-sounding laugh. "Well, honestly Caesar, I really don't know how I feel. I mean, I'm obviously happy, because I get to go back to my family and let's not forget, I'm alive. But in truth, I just feel a little overwhelmed. I can't believe I'm here, honestly. A farmboy from Ten. The last time that happened, it was Stark." I stopped, knowing I was rambling. Caesar gave me a sympathetic look.

"Well then, without any further ado, let's watch the recap of the games shall we?" he turned towards the giant screen.

The seal of Panem fell across the surface, replaced by the blazing letters of the fifty-seventh Hunger Games. The shot turned to that of the arena, the camera slowly going over what we had first seen as the arena. My throat constricted as I remembered that place.

The shot of me running to the Cornucopia was the first thing they showed. I could see myself scramble over the pile of rubble, then drop to the other side, only to start yelling for Nova. I'd obviously realized it was futile, because I gathered the supplies and began running away when Siobhan attacked me. I couldn't believe what I'd done there. For a moment, I didn't recognize the boy with the knife. I hadn't known I looked quite so… determined. I watched as Siobhan almost defeated me, and as Nick saved both my life and Siobhan's.

Seeing her face there was like having a knife drawn through my heart. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, as I tried desperately to control my tears. I couldn't bear to look at her face again, and have all those memories flood my mind. I inhaled, and exhaled, like Kimi had told me. I shut my eyes tight as they showed Nick and I settling down. I wasn't going to break… I wasn't going to break…

When I opened my eyes again, they showed Nick passing out in my arms, presumably after her fight with the Me-mutt. I was stupidly giving her those painkillers. Then, obviously, the ever memorable, drugged Nick. The whole audience burst into laughter, and even on a screen, Nick managed to make me smile.

The happiness on my face when I found Nova was commendable. We looked like we were on seventh heaven as we hugged each other. I remembered how I felt then. Joy wasn't a word to describe it. It followed into showing Nick splitting with out alliance, which got a few sniffles from the audience. I set my lips in a firm line.

Oh, God, no…

The next part was of my fight with Dwayne. We fought like savage beasts, but Dwayne had clearly been more skilled than I was. His state, though, had been terrifying. All that black blood, it repulsed me just to look at it again. I felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. No one deserved that fate. No one. I watched as Lisette tried to knock me out, as Dwayne cut me with his knife. As he fell, and begged for death. As I stabbed his heart.

I turned away from the screen. My pals were sweaty, and my legs were shaking. Caesar reached out and patted me knee, giving me an understanding look. I took rapid breaths to try and calm myself. No, to _brace_ myself for what was to come.

The next shot was of Nova being drugged. The look on my face when she'd attacked my had been pure terror. She was something more than an animal. The sounds she made were beast-like, and the look in her eyes were insanity. She had been turned into a monster, just for the entertainment of these people. I could feel the tears sting my eyes as I saw my knife embed itself in her chest, and heard her cannon go off.

I clutched the sides of the seat on which I sat. I bit my bottom lip so hard, I tasted blood. But nothing I could've done would've prepared me for the next part.

My fight with Raymond. Raymond was the most fiery twelve year old I'd ever seen. Though my skills seemed slightly better, Raymond was obviously a better fighter because he had the mind-set of a fighter. I flinched as I watched him snap my arm back. The scream that came from me was bone-chilling.

Then the two of us were running, Nick and I. We were running straight to our deaths. The clearing, the mutt's entrance, the fight. I was reliving the whole horror again. I couldn't help but gasp when the mutt impaled me. I covered my mouth as Nick took out the knife from her chest. I couldn't even breathe as the two of us sat there, until Nick's cannon blew.

The screen died out after flashing out my face.

I expected the whole audience to go crazy, but all that prevailed was silence. I looked at Caesar, sniffing and blinking back tears. He seemed to be silenced too. However, it was his job. He looked at me with an expression I didn't quite understand. Was it… respect?

"Colt, I don't even know what to say… That was one of the most heart-breaking finales we've ever seen in these fifty-seven years. The final four showed us the meaning of unity. Now, Colt. When in the final four, who did you honestly think was going to win?" He asked.

I thought for a moment. I needed to get through this interview. I knew Caesar wouldn't drag it too long, so it wouldn't take me too much effort. But it felt as though a void had been opened in my heart again. I sighed.

"Well, in all honesty, Caesar, I thought Nick would make it. I mean, I was half-dead from my injuries, Lawson had been run through, Raymond was pinned under a tree. Nick had been poisoned, but she stood a better chance than the rest of us." I responded. Caesar nodded.

"Colt, I think we all know that the one most surprising thing in these Games was the friendship between you and Nick. I can just say, I've never seen an alliance make it that far. And if I know correctly, the alliance never broke. I know this may be digging up an old wound, but what can you say about Nick?"

I expected myself to freeze, maybe even cry. But I only paused for a moment before chuckling. "Caesar, Nick was someone who could make someone laugh at the mere thought of her. Even now, when I remember her strange antics, it puts a smile on my face." I looked down at my hands.

"Nick was different. One word to describe her would be… crazy. Plain crazy. The girl wanted to talk to giraffes, for goodness sake. But she was one of a freaking kind. No one could be the annoying-little-sibling like she could. Even in the most emotional and serious moments, she had a way of cheering me up. She could make anyone laugh, just by being herself. She was stupidly rash, and didn't think twice before taking a poison knife for me. Nick inspired me in the games, and she will always continue to do so." I finished, looking back up.

Caesar smiled at me. "Very well put. Nick was someone people couldn't help but love. Now, Colt, since we're running out of time, what can you say about your Games?"

I didn't say anything for a moment. When I finally found my voice, it came out a little shaky.

"These Games taught me who I really am. They say the Hunger Games can bring out your monster. I don't really agree. The Games don't create any monster. The monster already exists, created by us. The Games only bring out who we truly are. These Games were filled with every single emotion possible. Loyalty, betrayal, love, hate, mercy, ruthlessness, kindness, cruelty, and above all, humanity. I've seen people change, Caesar. I've never seen anything like this." I took deep breath.

"Many people say they want to forget their games. Well, in these games, I found people who I respect more than anyone else, in tributes like Lawson and Kai. These games showed me that no matter how young we are, we can still be stronger than others. And most of all, these Games gave me unimaginable friends. If the only part of all these people I have left are my memories…. I never want to forget."

The crowd rose as one in an applause.

~.~.~.~.

"I have to say, Colt, that was quite the speech." Kimi said as we entered the elevator to her apartment. She stayed in the victor's building, which was almost like the tribute building, but wasn't part of the Training Centre. I would stay on the same floor as her, but just for one night, she agreed to let me stay in her apartment. I knew I couldn't handle being alone for that long. Something about Kimi gave me a sense of familial comfort.

The elevator dinged up as I turned to her and smiled. "Well, come on, I'm not a total dweeb." I said. That was my feeble attempt at a joke, and though Kimi laughed, I could tell she only did so to be polite.

The elevator opened to reveal our posh floor. Even the floor in the lobby was carpeted. Every inch of the fabric was velvet. The walls were lit by a dull glow o the lamps. Kimi reached out and closed my mouth, which I hadn't realized had fallen open. She laughed softly before taking my hand and leading me towards what was presumably her apartment. She took out a key and started on the lock.

"You can take the guest bedroom. Why I have a guest bedroom, I don't know. It's not like I have guests coming over or anything." She explained as she threw the door open. The entire room was pitch dark as we walked in.

"Hey, Kimi, you wouldn't happen to have any light sources would you?" I asked out. She laughed again, this time in a distance. "Yeah, I'm just getting to it!" She called out. I smiled. "Yeah, well you might wanna hurry up bec-"

My sentence was cut off midway as I felt the cold metallic edge of a dagger push into the skin on my neck. A deep, male voice spoke from behind me, standing very close.

"Say another word, and this knife is getting sliced across your throat."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: I KNOW. I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON. LIKE A HORRIBLE TERRIBLE YECH BLOOPY-POOPY PERSON.**

 **I know I said I wiuld clear up everything about the last chapter in this one, but I simply had no way to incorporate it... but I PINKY SWEAR I'll write it in the next. The next chapter will probably have a lot to do with the rebellion, so... hehe. And it will have a lot of Colt. And others. ;)**

 **And I know this update is as late as the next season of Sherlock. But trust me, I had my exams, in fact I still do, and I had exams everyday, and the syllabus is just... its the size of freaking Jupiter. I haven't had much sleep at all, and I look like an apocalypse-survivor. But I promise I'll try to update better.**

 **Oh and how did you like this chapter? You think I got Colt's reaction correct? I didn't want to show him as someone who had completely given up and broken down, because I figured he's stronger than that... and what didja think of the interviews?**

 **And since so many people have been asking, I'm opening the submissions to my sequel after I finish with this story. This story will have two more chaps. I can't publish the sequel without finishing this, otherwise the sequel wouldn't make sense. Also, I AM NOT doing reservations. The sequel will not be first come first serve, but that realy doesn't matter, because I know all your tributes will be amazing.**

 **So, will you guys submit to the sequel? :)**

 **Btw, I changed the name of the sequel to Battles of History. Just because. 0:-)**

 **I'm rambling crap again, I needa shut up. So yeah, oooooh, Cliffie monster is here again, HAHAHAHAHAH. What do you think will happen? Didja like the chapter? Any suggestions? Please review! I love each and every review so much I cannot even.**

 **Until next time then...**


	45. After the Games: Part One

**Colt Marshal (17)- Victor of the Fifty Seventh Hunger Games**

The lights switched on as I froze. Now, I know what you're thinking, after the Games, this scared me? But the thing was, this terrified me because it was so unexpected. The pure surprise of it made me freeze entirely. I looked at Kimi with terror-filled eyes as she stumbled to a stop in front of me.

"Clos what the HELL are you doing!?"

If I could possibly be more confused, I was. The guy pulled away his knife from my throat and backed up as I turned to face him. He seemed to be my age, possibly older. He shot me an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that... I had to make sure you wouldn't scream." He explained. Kimi sighed in exasperation. "Yes, well, _extremely_ inefficent technique! You could've-"

"GUYS!" A voice from the hall cut them off. I turned to look at the source and my heart probably stopped right there.

Almiro Fitzroy.

My mouth fell open. Now, I'm not proud of what I did next, but you'll have to cut me some slack.

I screamed. It was a high-pitched, fairly feminine scream an octave higher than my usual. I picked up the thing nearest to me, which happened to be a cushion, and almost charged at the thing in front of me, when Kimi stopped me. "Woah woah, Colt!"

"HE WAS DEAD! YOU ARE DEAD! RAYMOND KILLED YOU! YOU'RE... A GHOST!" I yelled. "Colt calm down!" Kimi ordered, pushing me back lightly. At her commanding tone, I stopped my charging, but I still held out the cushion like a sword, though the fluffy pink thing was admittedly not the most intimidating weapon.

"Colt, I assure you, I'm very much alive and not dead. Or a ghost, or zombie or anything unnatural. It's a pleasure seeing you again, and congratulations for being alive. Now, excuse my rudeness, but we have a big problem. Kimi, this way." He said, turning and heading off deeper into her house. Kimi shot me a sympathetic look as both she and the boy whose name I assumed was Clos, followed the not-so-dead-but-I-thought-was-dead-and-I-had-no-idea-how-he-was-alive Almiro. I made a sound somewhere close to a rat getting stepped on, but seeing absolutely no choice, I followed them.

Almiro came to what seemed to be Kimi's lounge, and the four of us walked in, and froze.

There were three people in the room. An elderly yet extremely authorative looking lady, a guy around my age, and...

My heart jumped into my throat. A person I recognized as Thaddeus Sheen lay on the sofa. But it wasn't him that scared me. It was the fact that he seemed to be completely covered in blood.

 **Kimaya Canterstein (19)- Victor of the fifty Fourth Annual Hunger Games** :

"Oh my god, Thaddeus!" Kimi yelled, rushing forward. She practically slid to a stop beside the couch Thaddeus was on, looking at his fearfully bleeding form. She took moment to take in his state.

From what she could make out, Thaddeus had been shot twice. The wounds of the bullets were still swollen and had turned slightly purple due to the mixture of blood with the gun powder. His whole pant was covered in blood, and the red liquid was slowly spreading across his shirt too. He was dreadfully pale, despite his already fair complexion, and his usually spiked hair was now matted to his forehead in sweat. His breathing was heavy and ragged.

In that horrifying moment, it hit Kimi like a ton of bricks.

Thaddeus was dying.

She covered her mouth, tears already forming a layer over her eyes. "Oh my god… Oh my god… What the hell is this!?" She demanded, looking at Almiro and Clos. The two looked down at the ground, while Coin answered her.

"It was Rayne. Rayne betrayed Thaddeus and led Peacekeepers onto him. He managed to save Dane, but Rayne shot him twice." She looked at Thaddeus, her expression sad. "None of us have any medical expertise, so we had no idea how to remove the bullets. We gave him painkillers and some medicine we found in the hovercraft to stop the bleeding but its obviously worn off. We had no idea where else to take him." She explained.

"Kimi…" Thaddeus managed, his voice shaky and horribly raspy, "I don't think I can hold out much longer… c-can you remove… the bullet?" He spoke between heavy breaths. Kimi looked at him with wide eyes. She snapped her head towards Clos.

"In the cupboard in the guest room, there's a medical supplies kit. GET IT NOW!" She ordered. Clos stumbled off towards the said place, while Kimi gripped Thaddeus' hand. She examined his wounds.

"The wound on your leg, it has an exit hole. That means the bullet isn't still in you. From what I can tell, the bullet ripped through your flesh. There's nothing to do about that, but the one on your waist, the bullet's definitely still in the body. And it seems to be pretty deep too…" She trailed off, her hand shaking. Thaddeus' hand shook in hers. The guy was trembling now. "C-Can you t-take it out?" He asked. Kimi looked at it again and nodded curtly. It was true, she could, but when she'd done this before, it had been on a full surgical table, with other doctors helping her.

"Kimi!" Clos cried, shoving the huge metallic case into her hands. Kimi immediately opened it and rummaged around what she had here, horror settling upon her already pounding heart. Her mouth dropped open as tears threatened to spill again.

"I don't have an anesthetic…" She said softly.

"What the hell does that mean?" Almiro demanded. She turned to him with an expression with was bordering on breaking.

"It means I'm going to have to take the bullet out without giving him anesthesia. He's going to feel all of the pain…" She said, her voice cracking at the end of her sentence. She looked at Thaddeus, who seemed mortified. "Thaddeus… I'm so sorry…" She said softly. The other boy shut his eyes, clearly in too much pain to say anything.

"Now I have no medical experience whatsoever, but I'll take a random guess and say that's gonna hurt." The blonde boy standing behind Kimi remarked. Kimi nodded. "It's going to be worse than anything you've ever felt before, because not only do I have to find the bullet without a camera of any kind, but I'm also going to pull it out, shearing the already broken surface of the muscles and veins." She explained.

"Just do it." Thaddeus said in a barely controlled voice. "Is there any other way?" Clos inquired, looking almost as scared as Kimi felt. She shook her head. "There are two ways, one being anesthesia, which I don't have here, and the other being knocking him unconscious. But the thing is, if I knock him unconscious, I'm not entirely sure he'll wake up again." She told him. Clos covered his face with his hands while Almiro had on a look of pure hopelessness.

"Thaddeus, I-"

"I SAID JUST DO IT!" Thaddeus' outburst clearly startled Kimi, for she flinched. The guy shot her an immediate apologetic look, but Kimi wasn't about to hold it against him. Being betrayed by your best friend like that… it must've hurt a lot, probably more than the wounds on him.

But Kimi knew she needed to hurry up. If she didn't, not only would the bullet cause an infection, but it would also endanger Thaddeus of bleeding to death. Looking at his state though, she had no idea how he still was alive.

She glared at Almiro and Clos. "Both of you, grab his shoulders and hold him down. He's going to thrash but that'll only make things more complicated. You," she pointed to the blonde boy behind her, "hold his legs down."

"Kimi, I don't need-" Thaddeus was cut off by Kimi's look, which was filled with anxiety and urgency. "Trust me Thaddeus. You do."

She grabbed the scissor tongs from the kit and took a deep breath, as the boys poised their hands on Thaddeus, holding him firmly to the sofa. Thaddeus himself leaned his head back and closed his eyes, his lip quivering. Kimi honestly couldn't imagine how much pain he was in, but what she was about to do next was going to increase his pain manifold.

She bit her lip and forced her hand to remain steady. Not thinking further, she dug the tongs into Thaddeus' wound.

The scream came almost immediately, as Kimi pushed the instrument further into his body. Thaddeus tried to thrash his arms, but the boys did their job well as they pinned him on the couch. The screams that retched Thaddeus' throat was raw and guttural, so filled with agony that Kimi almost drew the instrument out. She wanted to run in a corner and hide. None of her patients had been like this, screaming and howling.

Prayer after prayer fled up from her spirit as she hoped to every God above that she found the bullet soon. Thaddeus was wailing now, his voice cracking from the volume of his screams. Kimi forced herself to remain calm. She couldn't do this if she approached it emotionally. Thaddeus' life literally depended on her. She cared about him enough to try and manage this. She blanked out his screams, as she saw both Almiro and Clos cringe fro Thaddeus' state.

Kimi's hands were covered in blood, and the slippery liquid made her grip on the tongs feeble. However, she knew she couldn't lose the grip, so she held it tighter. So tight that her knuckles actually turned white. Thaddeus' screams weren't even a language anymore. They were animal-like, filled with more pain than Kimi had ever heard. For the first time, he was crying. Tears ran down his cheeks in torrents as he screamed his throat raw.

She pushed the instrument further into the wound, slowly feeling the flesh inside for any metal object.

She couldn't hear the sound, but could feel the impact as it touched something solid and very much out of place.

She willed herself to stay calm. She could do this. She really could. Slowly, carefully, she maneuvered the tings so that they were around the bullet. She pressed down, tearing through more of Thaddeus' flesh, which only made him scream louder, which Kimi hadn't thought possible. She could hear the boys urging her, but she unheard them. She couldn't let anyone distract her.

Pressing down on the tongs so hard her fingers ached, she made sure not to lose hold of the bullet as she slowly started pulling it out. She was aware of Thaddeus' yells growing fainter, which was slightly more terrifying than them getting louder, but she decided to focus on one problem at a time.

With a final tug, she pulled the bullet free of the wound, and out of Thaddeus' body.

No one even had time to celebrate. "Kimi, he's blacking out!" Almiro yelled, holding Thaddeus' arm so tight and hard, Kimi could see the bruise. Kimi's eyes widened. "NO!" She yelled. If Thaddeus blacked out now, he could go into a coma, or they could lose him. She wasn't about to let either happen. She pushed the blondie away from his leg and grabbed his leg wound. She mentally cried an apology to the boy lying in front of her, but she knew she had no choice.

She dug her fingers into Thaddeus' leg around the wound, squeezing out more blood. It had the desired effect. Thaddeus' eyes shot open as yet another wail greeted their hurting ears. She quickly let go of his leg and touched his face, glaring at him.

"Thaddeus, talk to me, say something, _anything_!" She demanded. Thaddeus visibly relaxed, obviously still in a lot of pain, but also very obviously alive. She bit her lip so hard, she was afraid of drawing blood. Thaddeus shut his eyes tight, still whimpering. He let out a shaky breath.

"Ouch."

Kimi couldn't help but laugh. She wanted to throw her arms around him at that moment, but she knew that wouldn't be so very good for him right now. Instead, she fell back on her butt to the carpet, leaning her head against the table, sighing, as the boys hesitantly let go of Thaddeus. The latter opened his eyes and looked at Kimi. "Thank you…" his voice was feeble, but Kimi's work wasn't done. She grabbed a few cotton rolls and rubbing alcohol, and got ready to dress the wound, to stop the bleeding. She turned to Clos and ordered him to bring a bucket and a few liters worth water. As he ran off to do what she'd said, she looked at Thaddeus.

"I could slap, punch or hug you right now, but I don't want to mess up what I just did. Do you have any _idea_ how terrible that was!?" She cried. Thaddeus raised an eyebrow at her. "Please tell me you didn't seriously just ask me that." He deadpanned.

Behind her, she could hear someone clear their throat. She turned to see Colt standing there, a hand gripping a chair for support, as his eyes darted to everyone in the room. His expression was somewhat unsettling; Kimi didn't recall seeing anyone be quite so utterly baffled. He gulped and stood up straight, looking slightly pale.

"Um, I know this isn't the right time, but…" his voice faltered before he continued, "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on around here because I'm… I'm completely lost. Why are there around five people here whom I don't recognize, why are you shot, and how…" he trailed off, looking at Almiro. "How are you back from the dead…?"

Thaddeus let a raspy laugh escape his throat. "Colt, it's actually-" Kimi cut him off by placing a firm hand on his chest. She glared at him, much to his confusion. She laughed. "Yeah, no. You are laying right back down. I don't care about your whole I'm-so-cool-I-feel-no-pain crap, because you just had a bullet pulled out of you without any sedative. Right now, in a weird twisted way, I'm you doctor, and everyone listens to their doctor. Now, your doctor's telling you that if you don't lie down, I'm going to kill you. So shut up and listen to me." She turned to Colt.

"I'll explain."

 **Colt Marshal (17)- Victor of the Fifty Seventh Hunger Games:**

I tried to absorb in all the information. Now trust me on this one thing. It was one hell of a task.

"So... the Capitol wanted to destroy District Thirteen, which apparently exists, with a Parasite virus, and Thaddeus stopped them. And mister dead-guy is here because he knew the code to the safe in which the parasite was being kept. And while trying to escape, Thaddeus was shot. And Dane Evans was also in on this. And Mrs. Coin here is the President of Thirteen." I couldn't believe I was actually saying these sentences together.

Kimi flashed me a sympathetic look. I still couldn't believe what she'd done. She just pulled a bullet out of a writhing guy. Seeing Thaddeus when Kimi was doing her task was physically painful.

Kimi nodded. "In a very short version, yeah. Clos and a few others also joined us, when we went for the family interviews. Clos joined Thaddeus after he overheard him talking to me about the Parasite. Almiro didn't have much of a choice but to join us." She explained. I looked at the boy standing behind her. The guy smiled. He seemed to be around my age, maybe slightly younger. His smile was friendly enough, but there was a sorrow in his eyes that I couldn't overlook.

"I'm Matt Mitchell."

I paused. That name... it was strangely familiar. "Do I know you?" I asked. He laughed. "You might. Nick might've mentioned me. I was her best friend." He stated.

I could feel my breathing stop as I tried to process this. I opened my mouth and shut it, but no sound came out. Kimi interrupted my thoughts.

"We picked up Almiro on a hovercraft before the poison killed him and I gave him a cure. After that, Thaddeus hacked into all the cameras and transferred their feed to Clos' computers. Then he and Almiro went out to do their respective jobs after we landed the hovercraft in the Capitol. But how'd you guys get here?" Kimi asked the Almiro, whom I still had trouble believing was alive. Clos reappeared with the requirements Kimi'd asked for as she set down to clean Thaddeus' wound. "We took Dane's car. The guy has one big car, gift from some crazy Capitolite. These people may be weird, but they sure give good gifts. And the security here isn't so strong, and - Colt, why are you staring at me like that?" He asked, exasperated. I coughed, embarrassed I'd been caught. "Um, I was trying to see if I can look through you, in case... you know... you're a ghost or something..." I ended with another cough. Almiro gave me a look which said _are you kidding me_.

"Colt, listen to me very carefully. I know what these Games have done to you. I know you hate the Capitol. You may not outwardly show it, but you do. Heathers won't stop after one failed attempt, and now that he has Rayne, he has a serious advantage. The two will stop at nothing to end Thirteen. There are innocent people there Colt. Men, women, children, who have done nothing wrong. And it's not like any action on Thirteen will spare the outer districts. Every District up till six will be affected. So, I ask you this. Will you join us?" Kimi asked.

I stared at her, my jaw open. Her face was dead serious. "I..." I couldn't speak. Join a rebellion!? I'd never had such a thought cross my mind. "It's not a rebellion Colt. We aren't trying to overthrow the Capitol. We're simply trying to save the people in the districts. Heathers and Rayne have to be stopped." She paused, looking at my expression. "But this is a big decision, I know. I don't demand an answer now. Think about it Colt. But for now..." she looked at Thaddeus with a smile. "Where are they?" She asked.

"Who?" I inquired. Everything was happening so fast. While I couldn't deny their cause was correct, I never thought of myself as the rebellious kind. I couldn't imagine myself wielding a gun, screaming a battle cry for freedom. Thaddeus peered at me with what seemed to be the hints of a smirk on his lips. "They're in Kimi's bedroom. Go meet them Colt. I have a feeling you'll want to." He said.

He turned away, and I sensed a tone of finalty in his words. Kimi simply pointed to a door of to her right and set to work. I had a feeling the only way my questions would be answered were if I went and met these people.

I walked over to the said door and hesitantly opened it. Now, let me say, I've had my share of surprises. Nothing could've prepared me for this. I gaped at the people inside.

"ZIPPORA!? KALEB!?"

Zippora turned to face me and ran forward, tackling me into a hug. I hugged her back, almost lifting her off the ground. She pulled away after a moment and laughed. My two best friends were in a room with me. I felt way too elated to even speak. I looked over at Kaleb, who lay on Kimi's bed, his foot and head wrapped in bandages.

"OHMYGODS!" I yelled, both laughing and screaming in shock. "What are you guys doing here!?"

"It was Thaddeus. This idiot here..." Zippora tried to explain, pointing at Kaelb with a huge grin on her face. "Well, there was an uprising in Ten. Kaleb was a part of it. He kinda lost it when you had to kill Nova. He was almost shot by a Peacekeeper, but Thaddeus saved him by killing the Peacekeeper. The two of us basically followed Thaddeus around after that until we got to know of his plan, and then... well, we kinda owed him, and we wanted to help him, so we joined in." She explained. She took a deep breath and slid her hand into mine as I turned towards Kaleb. My best friend smirked at me. "Yeah, good to see ya mate, but I ain't hugging you. As you can see, that won't be too good for me."

I couldn-t help but laugh, despite my situation. Things were just so bizarre right now. I'd just been introduced to this plan, and now I got to learn that my best friends were part of it too. Not just that, they had also been a part of an uprising and now one of them lay in front of me, injured. But what I couldn't believe was that they were here right now. The joy of that outweighed everyhing else.

"Yeah, Zippora makes me sound so much less heroic, but that's basically what happened. Now I don't know what happened out there with all that screaming, but I serioualy hope no one died." He said. I shook my head... in something of a daze.

"I just... I can't believe you guys are here right now. I mean... after all that's happened..." I trailed off. Zippora squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "We're happy to be here Colt... we've missed you..." she said. Kaleb shrugged. "I'm honestly just glad he isn't in a wooden box right now, but yeah, the missing thing's good too." He looked at Zippora smiling up at me and rolled his eyes with a groan.

"Oh my gods you two... just stop with the googly eyes and kiss already." He huffed. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks and I opened my mouth to tell him off, but Zippora cut me off my turning me to face her and pulling me into a gentle kiss.

It lasted for mere seconds before she pulled away. She laughed, and I did too. I knew my face was probably redder than a tomato, and I had a goofy grin on, but I couldn't help it. I could feel Kaleb's smirk. "Shut up Kaleb." I said, laughing as I turned to face him.

He smiled. "Do you know how long this has taken? I've had to suffer through the googly eyes for like, eight years, okay? Now you shut up and let me plan the wedding cake flavour." He ordered. All three of us burst out laughing and I took in our situation. I'd faced horrors in my Games, but there was something about friends... something that could make me laugh. These guys, I'd known for longer than I could remember.

I could feel fury expanding in my heart. The Capitol had almost taken this away from me. The Capitol had killed twenty-three kids in my Games, and they did this every single year. I couldn't even imagine all those families, who were mourning the loss of their children. My mind flashed to Matt. I didn't dare think what he was going through. He was... Nick...

The Capitol had done all of that. They'd almost dessimated my life, my whole world. I'd faced losses, but it couldn't compare to all those who lost their loved ones to the Capitol. Nick, Nova, Lawson, Raymond... all of them were dead because of the Capitol. I couldn't save them, but that didn't mean I wouldn't try to save all the other innocent people who were in danger because of the Capitol.

I let go of Zippora's hand and gave them a firm look. I could tell from Kaleb's expression that he knew what I was thinking. His smirk told me all I needed to know.

I headed out the door and walked over to where Kimi was just finishing bandaging Thaddeus' wound. Thaddeus looked much better and very much alive. The two of them looked at me in anticipation. I took a deep breath. I said the next two words slowly and carefully.

"I'm in."

~.~.~.

 **A/N: YUZ. COLT JOINED REBELLION THINGAMAJIGGER. I IZ HAPPY. HOPEFULLY YOU IZ HAPPY TOOOOOOO.**

 **Yeah, I'm like that again. It happens, okay!?**

 **This chalter was so much fun to write. I actually realized Thaddeus was one of my only characters who hadn't suffered that much so...:) I mean okay, yeah, writing that made me cringe a little, but... yeah.**

 **Aw, Colt is reunited with his friends! What did you guys think of this chap? What about Kimi saving Thaddeus? And Colt joining them? How was it overall?**

 **Also, this is probably like the second-last chapter of this story. There will be an epilogue after this, and Colt's victory tour will be in the next story. Can't believe this is almost over guys... :")**

 **Speaking of which:**

 **I AM NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR BATTLES OF HISTORY WHICH IS THE SEQUEL. I REPEAT. SUBMISSIONS FOR THE SEQUEL ARE OPEN.**

 **The form will be on my profile. I would really prefer PM, and for any guests, I'll be putting up an email address, so you can mail it to me. Please let review be the last resort. But I will accept.**

 **I'M SO LOOKIN FORWARD TO YOUR AMAZING TRIBUTES GUYS! PLEASE SUBMIT! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST AND I SHOULD BE THANKING MY STARS I HAVE READERS AS AMAZING AS Y'ALL.**

 **Until next time then...**


	46. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

 **Four Days Later...**

 **Thaddeus Sheen (24)- Victor of the 48th Hunger Games** :

President Alma Coin looked as calm and composed as ever as she straightened her jacket, sitting in front of the huge screen. Thaddeus on his part, had agreed to not go into a cussing spree, even though that's just about the only thing he wanted to do.

Now, four days after breaking into the vault, his pain was less. The medics here at thirteen were pretty good, and after Kimi had taken out the bullet from inside him, all they'd had to do was speed up the healing. The scar on his leg from where the bullet had torn throigh his flesh wasn't about to go away anytime soon. He had to use crutches for a week, and his entire torso was wrapped in bandages under his shirt.

But nothing hurt worse than the fact that he no longer had Rayne beside him. He no longer had her support, the warmth of her friendship. Now all that was there in that spot was the cold shard of betrayal, which seemed to impale his heart every time he thought about her.

Dane had recovered fully, and no one suspected him. Even Kimi was free from suspicion after what Thaddeus had done. After she'd patched him up, they'd stayed the night at her place. She'd threatened to personally see to it that Thaddeus found the bullet back inside of him, and afraid of what Kimi might do if he didn't listen to her, they'd agreed. However, both Kimi and Thaddeus knew what needed to be done if they wanted to throw Kimi out of suspicion

When they'd been about to leave in Dane's car, aiming to make it across the border through a spot Thaddeus knew had limited security, Kimi had come to the basement with them. Thaddeus had done just about the same thing he'd done with Dane. He'd shot her, making sure to only give her a flesh wound, and then knocked her out.

Getting out of the Capitol hadn't been difficult, because they'd escaped through a forest on the outskirts of the Capitol, because Thaddeus knew they had less Peacekeepers posted there. Rayne, given her way, would've posted a higher Peacekeeper force at every exot, but with Bruce out of it due to that tranquilizer they'd given him, Rayne had no authority.

Colt and Zippora had gone back to District Ten, with Kaleb. Thaddeus had just about ordered Colt to live a normal Victor's life. They didn't need him to take an active part in the rebellion. They just needed him to be their spy of sorts. While he was in the Capitol, they needed him to make sure they didn't try any more attempts to destroy Thirteen, and if they did, he would inform them. Kimi would play a similar role.

The screen was filled with static and Thaddeus grit his teeth. He forced himself not to think murderous thoughts as the screen changed, and Bruce Heathers' face. And boy, did he look angry.

"Now, Bruce, this message is under a flag of truce, I hope you know that." Coin said, her voice firm. Thaddeus didn't say anything. Bruce exhaled hard.

"You killed our President, Coin. How are we supposed to accept that!?" He exclaimed. Thaddeus barely paid him any attention. His eyes were on the person beside him. Rayne caught him glaring at her and winked. Thaddeus opened his mouth, but he felt Coin's hand on his arm, and decided to keep shut.

"Bruce, must I remind you that you broke our truce? We agreed to a non-agression pact, and you shattered that by making that Parasite virus. Had Thaddeus not stopped you, pur district would have been obliterated." She said, her voice formal and authorative. Heathers glared at Thaddeus, who decided to make the most of his moment, and smirked.

"I don't care, Coin. You effin' killed out President, and that's a declaration of war. War, I tell you!" He declared. Coin gave him a look thst clearly conveyed her no-nonsense attitude.

"We were merely trying to save all these innocent lives you would've destroyed. You think Thirteen would've been the only ones affected!? The virus would've spread to every oter part of the country! We could be looking at a genocide over here Heathers!" She exclaimed, her voice rising. Bruce was silent.

Coin sneered and continued. "And if you do go to war against us, don't think for a second we're not capable of retaliating. In fact, let me introduce you to our best weapon. Thaddeus?" She looked at him. He took this as his cue. He brought up the metallic case beside him and opened it, displaying the contents to the two Gamemakers on the screen. Bruce's eyes widened and Rayne gasped.

"Seem familiar?" Thaddeus spoke for the first time, holding up the Parasite Virus in his hands.

"You didn't neutralize it... you stole it..." Rayne exhaled. Bruce went from shocked to enraged. "Thaddeus you treacherous no good son of a-"

"You're really gonna tell me about treavhery with Rayne freaking Hale sittin' beside you? I wouldn't talk." He deadpanned.

"That's right Heathers. You know you can risk wiping out the entire Capitol population. I won't be risking anything because I, unlike you, had the sense to figure out a cure. Now, without the papers, you'll be the only ones without the cure. You wouldn't stand a chance." Coin said to Heathers and Rayne's apalled expressions.

Heathers clenched his jaw tight, his expression angry, but controlled. "Coin, one more act of agression, and you'll be looking at war." He warned. Coin shrugged. "Give us the peace we asked for and respect our treaty, and there will be no need." She said.

Bruce simply nodded at the screen and got off his chair to walk away. Well, Thaddeus hadn't exactly expected a good-bye song. But Rayne stayed. Coin looked at Thaddeus before reeling her chair out of the view of the camera. Now, it was only Rayne with Thaddeus. He glared at her.

"Aw, Thaddy, you aren't still mad, are you?" She asked, putting her hand on her chest in mock grief. Thaddeus rolled his eyes. "Oh no, you just betrayed me, shot me teice, jeopardized our entire operation, almost got me and thousands of people killed and not to mention broke our friendship of twenty years. No, why would I be mad?" He asked sardonically.

Rayne simply smiled at him. "Oh Thaddy, you don't get what this is, do you?" She asked. "It's a battle of wits between the two of us. It's always been about the two of us, Thaddy... we both know that only one of us can outsmart the other. Only one of us presents a real challenge to the other's intelligence." She smirked at him, and he felt the betrayal run through him again. His worst enemy now was his best friend. He couldn't imagine a worse situation. Rayne leaned closer to the screen.

"So, Thaddy, you think you can give it to me? Can you give me that challenge?"

Thaddeus hardened his look. "Right now, Rayne, all I have for you is this." He stuck up the third finger of both hands, right in the camera.

Rayne seemed taken aback, while Coin just looked amused. Thaddeus didn't wait for her to reciver and dig his wound deeper. He reached out and pressed the button that cut the feed.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "We're never actually going to use that virus, are we?" A voice asked from the doorway. Thaddeus looked to see Clos and Almiro standing there. They'd been living in Thirteen, along with Almiro's family. One thing good that had haooened was that Almiro had gotten much closer to his parents.

"No, we won't. But we can use it to prevent a war." Coin agreed.

"Wait, now that Leor's dead, are they going to elect a President?" Clos asked. Thaddeus shook his head. "They only elect a president if the previous one hadn't decided on a successor. Leor had a successor decided officially."

Coin raised an eyebrow. "Who is it?" she asked. Thaddeus sighed. "Not anyone good. He was Leor's right hand man, his advisor of sorts. He's almost as power-hungry as Rayne and just as clever." He looked up at the three people in front of him.

"Coriolanus Snow."

~.~.~.~.~

 **A/N: Oh. My. Gods.**

 **It's over... it's finally over... I cannot even...**

 **This story has by far been my most succesful one. With 28 faves, 31 follows and over 550 reviews, this story was probably the one in which I had the most support. And for that, I cannot thank you guys enough... I mean, this was my first SYOT and my first story in the Hunger Games fandom. For it to have so much support is something I never could've imagined.**

 **I cannot thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me enough. Even if you only read this, that in itself is a tremendous honor, because I wanted people to read my story, and you all have helped me achieve that.**

 **Now comes the part of thanking all those amazing people who submitted all of those amazing tributes to this story. Each and every one of the tributes was a priviledge to write for. I know I killed most of them, but I did cherish writing their characters. Thank you to everyone who submitted and gave me the honor of writing for those amazing characters.**

 **I'm really not all that good at emotional stuff, but I wrote this from my heart... I really have all of you guys to thank...**

 **Now, on a less emotional topic, THE SUBMISSIONS FOR BATTLES OF HISTORY ARE OPEN IF YOU DIDN'T SEE IT EARLIER.**

 **I've already recieved many amazing tributes, and look forward and hope to recieve more! I'll be putting up the first chapter today (most likely) so please please please read and submit! PRETTY PLEASE!**

 **There will be another chapter of this, but it will only be the victor's stats and the story's stats. Not anything to do with the story. Well, not really but... eh, y'all get me ay?**

 **So please submit to the sequel if you haven't already! I'll be putting up the deadline soon! It isn't fixed, but it'll probably be till the end of next week or something. Or maybe there won't be a deadline. I dunno. I'm so excited about it that I'm babbling crap.**

 **Please tell me what y'all thought of this chapter! What did you think of Coin and Thaddeus using Heathers' own creation against him? And what of everything else? Do tell me your thoughts!**

 **And goodness guys, 558 reviews!? Congratulations to Josephm611 for being the 550th reviewer, and another HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed, faved, followed or even just read this. It means a lot guys. It really does. :"""D**

 **Until next time then...**


	47. Statistics

**Statistics for the 57th Hunger Games:**

 **Victor's Statistics:**

 **Name** : Colt Marshal

 **District** : Ten

 **Age** : 17

 **Gender** : Male

 **Kills** : Dwayne McCane (mercy-kill), Nova Pines, Nick Noelle (accidental)

 **Kill total** : 3

 **Allies** : Nick Noelle (District Seven Female), Nova Pines (District Ten Female)

 **Token** : His first coin ever earned

 **Preferred weapon** : Knives

 **Training score:** 9

 **Height** : 5'11

 **Weight before the Games** : 150 pounds

 **Weight after the Games** : 140 pounds

 **Appearance:** tall, slightly lithe, with a small amount of muscle on his arms, short two-inch brown hair swept in a fringe with slight bits of natural light brown, cheerful brown eyes, thin lips, with high cheekbones and a sharp nose, fairly pointed chin, childish features.

 **Games Statistics:**

 **Year** : 57th

 **Head Gamemaker:** Bruce Heathers

 **Length:** 8 days

 **Most kills** : Lawson Dean( Isaac Data, Blake Coleman, Kyle Daniels, Raymond Tate); Raymond Tate (Dwayne McCane, Siobhan O'Brian, Nick Noelle, Almiro Fitzroy(credited))- 4 each

 **Youngest tributes:** Lisette Osborn, Isaac Data, Raymond Tate, Evangeline Scott

 **Oldest Tributes:** Lawson Dean, Regina Anna Pasternack, Almiro Fitzroy, Kyle Daniels, Bellona Irving, Ruben Van der Valt, Absalom Sawyer, Hartley Butterwell,

 **Most common age(s):** 18 yrs

 **Average age** : 15.87 years

 **Final Standings:**

 **24th:** Isaac Data

 **23rd** : April Smith

 **22nd** : Bellona Irving

 **21st** : Otto Freight

 **20th** : Gigabyte Clearwater

 **19th** : Hartley Butterwell

 **18th** : Siobhan O'Brian

 **17th** : Ruben Van der Valt

 **16th** : Evangeline Scott

 **15th** : Avena Larson

 **14th** : Regina Anna Pasternack

 **13th** : Frankie-Leight Voltz

 **12th** : Dwayne McCane

 **11th** : Absalom Sawyer

 **10th** : Lisette Osborn

 **9th** : Anna Austen

 **8th** : Nova Pines

 **7th** : Blake Coleman

 **6th** : Almiro Fitzroy

 **5th** : Kyle Daniels

 **4th** : Raymond Tate

 **3rd** : Lawson Dean

 **2nd** : Nick Noelle

 **VICTOR** : Colt Marshal

~.~.~.

 **Okay, wow. I cannot believe I'm actually about to change this to completed. This was my first Hunger Games story, and I cannot believe I got so much support for it. I mean, okay I should've probably saved all that stuff I said in the previous chapter for this, but oh well. You guys already know how I feel about all the support you've given me, and honestly speaking, I couldn't in my wildest dreams fathom that this story would reach 570 reviews. Speaking of which, congratulations to Sally the Lioness for being my 570th reviewer! Anybody else notice what I did? Like, why 570 is special? (Yeah, I'm lame. So I've been told. Multiple times)**

 **Right. So, to avoid me going off on a tangent again, I would like to wrap up this roller coaster of a story by just saying, thank you for reading this, for your amazing support, incredible reviews and for everything you guys have given me throughout this.**

 **So, I know, many of you probably wanna know the tribute list for Battles of History, but.. sorry mates, you'll have to wait till tomorrow. I know, I'm evil. But yeah, I'm still deciding a few spots. I apologize in advance if I don't accept your tribute, though I am trying my hardest to give everyone a chance. I mean, I have about 29 unique submitters. And secondly, OMG YOU GUYS YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN ME SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR THE SEQUEL LIKE I CANNOT EVEN. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST OKAY!?**

 **So, yeah, this is Wizard, signing off from this story for the last time. We'll meet in the sequel! Thank you for reading this!**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


End file.
